


The Return of River Song

by Jayteesee



Series: The Return of River Song [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Loss of Memory, River escapes library, human River, locket
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 28,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2049399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jayteesee/pseuds/Jayteesee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>River escapes the Library with the help of the TARDIS. She wants to escape her past life with the Doctor, but the TARDIS has other plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. River's Escape

 

_It was such a strange feeling. I felt as if I was being pulled into something. Then it happened. I could feel. I could touch. Then there was the energy welling up inside me. The energy I hadn't felt in a while. The energy that I thought I could never feel again, but it was stronger. It was much stronger. Before I could realize what was happening, I was enveloped in warm light. I could see everything. I could see the past and the future. I knew I was regenerating, but it was different. Something was living inside me. I shut my eyes as the energy burst from me with explosion, and I found myself on the TARDIS. This is definitely the last place I want to be. It looked different, and I knew why. It was a different Doctor. My Doctor was gone... he was gone forever. All at once, I could see him though. I could see all the dates we'd had together. All the adventures. It was almost as if I could see through time. I grew angry at the images. They were images that could never be again. I screamed at the TARDIS for what she had done to me. I knew I had regenerated into someone different. My skin color had changed. I was as dark as when I was Mels. My hair was the same but darker. Looking into a mirror, I found my eyes were just as dark. My eyes. There was something in my eyes. I saw and understood. The TARDIS had given me what she could. She had made me a vessel for the time vortex. I didn't understand how she did it, but I did understand that I wanted her to leave me alone. The Doctor has probably forgotten about me, and I want to forget about him. So I did it... I let myself become..._

Hello. Who are you and what are you doing here?" came a voice.

"You're the Doctor, and this is the TARDIS," the girl responded.

"Okay. Not answering my question," the Doctor said, "Were are you from, what species, what time?"

"Um... I don't know, human, I don't know," the girl responded.

She was on her back on the floor. "The only thing I know is that you're the Doctor, this is the TARDIS, and I'm human."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know."

"Have we met?"

"I don't know."

"Did something happen to you?"

"I don't know."

The Doctor flipped some switches. He was silent doing some random things around the console. Finally, the girl spoke up, "Can I travel with you?"

"What?"

"The TARDIS travels through time and space. I know that. Can I travel with you?" the girl asked again.

"No," the Doctor replied.

"Why not?"

"You can't handle me. Not this me. Maybe another me, but not this me. This me is the beginning of a whole regeneration cycle. I feel young, but in reality I'm so old. Too old. I can't deal with the presence of a human being right now or anything for that matter. They all want the past Doctors, but they aren't me!" the Doctor slamming his fist on the console, "I don't just travel for traveling's sake anymore. I search for wrong. I right it. I'm tired of seeing so many lives wasted. I've done wrong. I'm doing something about that."

"Still not a valid excuse for why I can't stay. I have nowhere to go, and nothing to lose. How about I stay until I regain my memory? If you're going to go about righting the wrongs of the universe, you're not going to do it alone," the girl said standing up.

The Doctor looked as if he was thinking. He looked at her and searched her face. No, she was not lying because her eyes were blank. There was nothing there. It was almost as if she had just started living. Another mystery for him to solve. The case of the human who had never been born. "First thing's first then," he said looking straight at her with icy, blue eyes.

"And what's that?" the girl asked.

"We've got to find you a name."

"Oh. A name? I don't know my name," the girl said.

"Figured that," responded the Doctor suddenly bending down to look at something on the console.

"This is fun. Finding a name for myself. I like the name Brooke. I don't know why. I just do. Maybe Brooklyn to make it sound better," the girl said to herself thoughtfully.

"Brooklyn. Now that's settled, off we go," the Doctor said pulling a lever.

The TARDIS suddenly lurched. "Wow! I've never seen her this excited before. What are you so happy about?" the Doctor asked the TARDIS.

Brooklyn was not really paying attention. For a minute she thought she saw a man in a bowtie and tweed jacket smiling at her. He disappeared, and Brooklyn felt an unexplained sadness. Maybe he was someone she knew.

  
 

 

 


	2. The First Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brooklyn's first trip with the Doctor. If you don't know what happened in the last chapter, River Song used the chameleon arch to turn herself human. She did not make up a life for herself afterwards on purpose so she could begin with a fresh start. That is why she does not remember anything.

"Where are we going?" asked Brooklyn clutching onto the console for dear life.

"I don't know! I didn't finish typing in the coordinates!" shouted back the Doctor.

"This is fun!" yelled Brooklyn.

"You think so?" asked the Doctor.

"Well... I don't know. You look like you're having fun."

The TARDIS suddenly stopped and materialized. The Doctor opened the doors to reveal a wasteland of a planet. Everything looked charred and burnt. Brooklyn slowly stalked out the TARDIS. "I don't think you have to go looking for trouble. The trouble is coming to you," she whispered.

The Doctor did not answer as he stepped a little ways farther. "This is Gladolia. It's a small place. Nothing really ever happens here. Most people don't have the heart to really do anything to the Gladolians; they kind of just... slip under the radar. Most species don't have the heart... Daleks. Daleks don't have a heart. Brooklyn, you haven't said the thing yet," the Doctor said poking around in the dirt.

"What thing?"

"C'mon. Tell me. What do you think of the TARDIS?" he asked picking up his head expecting to see either a look of shock or of wonder.

"Well, it's a sentient being existing in eleven dimensions and through all of time and space. It's engine is an exploding supernova frozen in time, and it's mildly telepathic... Oh, it's trying to tell me something... the TARDIS says 'The doors say pull to open.'" Brooklyn said reaching up to stroke the TARDIS.

"May I ask you something? How did you know all of that?" the Doctor asked finding himself in a state of shock and wonder.

"I don't know. Just do," Brooklyn said shrugging her shoulders.

"You're right about the whole dimension and supernova thing, but what about the other thing?"

"What other thing?"

"It's bigger on the inside!" the Doctor exclaimed, "What? Why are you laughing?"

"The TARDIS told me that you love it when your companions say that bit, and I just made you say it yourself," Brooklyn said laughing.

The Doctor looked mildly annoyed. "So the TARDIS told you all the other stuff?"

"No. I just knew that. Who are companions? Are they your friends?" Brooklyn asked finally jogging away from the TARDIS towards the Doctor.

"Yes. They are very dear friends. I've lost them. It was all my fault. You travel with me at your own risk," the Doctor responded becoming very solemn.

"I'm sorry," said Brooklyn laying a hand on his shoulder.

The Doctor shut his eyes. "Anyway, let's see what happened to Gladolia."

The Doctor and Brooklyn traveled on in silence until they reached a city. Brooklyn gasped. The whole city was up in flames. There was screaming and fire. Brooklyn turned to the Doctor to see the light from the fire flickering on his face. He looked furious. His fists were clenched. Before the Doctor could even say what he was thinking, Brooklyn said it for him.

"Gallifrey," she whispered.

"What?" the Doctor said with a cracking voice turning towards her.

"Gallifrey burned. The man in the leather jacket is scarred. The man with the great hair avenges. The man in the bowtie keeps moving forward," Brooklyn said with tears stinging her eyes.

"Who are they? Why can I see them?" she asked looking up at the Doctor.

"We'll find out," he said.

Suddenly a big explosion took place that caused Brooklyn and the Doctor to almost fall over. The Doctor grabbed Brooklyn's hand as he ran full on towards the city. "Wow, for an old man, you can really run," Brooklyn said.

"Oh, Brooklyn, you have no idea how young I actually am," the Doctor replied.

Upon reaching the city, they found the residents to be peacefully going about their day. They were talking and laughing as if nothing was wrong. In fact, everything was _brilliant._ The people were positively happy. The Doctor looked around a bit before stopping one of the Gladolians who was carrying groceries in her hand. "Excuse me, but are there flames all around us?" he asked.

"Yes, but ssh. They're asleep now," she said humming as she adjusted the grocery bag in her hands.

"Wait, wait, hold on one minute. Who are asleep?" the Doctor asked with a puzzled expression.

"Them. The little blue ones. They like to start fires everywhere. They're asleep now. They always sleep around this time," she said, "It's the one part of the day besides night when everyone feels free."

"Right. When do they wake up?" the Doctor persisted.

"Oh in about an hour or so. Depends on if they are particularly jumpy," she answered.

"Okay. Do you know where they are?"

"No, sorry. They always hide. They're terrified of us, and we're terrified of them. You can see them when they wake up."

"You bet I will. This ends today," the Doctor said looking around him.

The whole place looked desolate. The trees were scarred and burned. Buildings were tumbling. The air was thick and heavy. A large mountain loomed over the city. "Do you know how many people have probably lost their lives here?" the Doctor asked.

Brooklyn nodded. "This ends today," the Doctor said with determination in his voice.

For the next hour, the Doctor investigated while Brooklyn tried to cheer some of the children who had lost parents with her fairytales. "Umm... let's see. Oh, so once upon a time, there was a lord who had two best friends. They were royal. They had a daughter that had special powers. No one else had these powers except for the lord. One day the princess was kidnapped and taken away by an evil witch. Once the princess was old enough, she escaped the witch and found the lord. The lord and the princess fell in love and got married. She loved him with all her heart, and he loved her with both of his hearts... I mean all of his heart... hm, don't know where that came from..."

 _Boom!_ "That's them!" exclaimed the Doctor.

The children scattered. Screaming and crying filled the air. "Doctor! I think I found the source of our trouble!" exclaimed Brooklyn.

She reached out to grasp a little blue creature who was in the process of setting fire to a tree. The little blue thing jumped at the feel of a hand on its back and looked at Brooklyn with big, guilty eyes as if it knew it was in trouble. It let led out a high pitched cry and seconds later, four more of the blue creatures arrived. "They're Magmanons. What business do you have here. You've burned a whole city! Oh... I know why. You can't live without intense heat because your bodies generate so much of it. I could kill you with an ice cube."

"Doctor!"

"Not now! I used to be able to let this go, but not now. Not this time."

"Doctor, please."

"How does Antarctica sound?" the Doctor asked stepping closer to the Magmanon in Brooklyn's hand.

The Magmanon let out another wail. The four others did too. Big tears rolled down their faces, and the one in Brooklyn's hand buried its face in her shirt. "Doctor, they're children. They're small children. Can't you see that? They're fending for themselves like orphans on a street. If you lay a hand on one of them, kill me too," said Brooklyn holding her head up to appear a little taller than she was.

The Doctor bent down to look at the four Magmanons that had congregated at Brooklyn's feet. As the Doctor came nearer, they began to cry to be picked up. "No, no it's okay. He didn't mean it. New regeneration cycle. He's young... probably just reached adolescence," Brooklyn reassured the Magmanons.

"What was that?" the Doctor asked snapping his head up quickly.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything," said Brooklyn shrugging.

The Doctor gave her a strange look. "Where are your parents?" asked Brooklyn looking the Magmanon that she still cradled in her hand.

All five looked up to the sky. Brooklyn solemnly nodded her head. "Promise me this. No burning up anything until we find your parents," she said.

The group nodded their heads eagerly. They liked her a lot. "Alright then. Come on," Brooklyn said walking away from the Doctor. The Magmanons toddled after her.

"What? Where are you going?"

"To the TARDIS!"

"You can't just bring anything into _my TARDIS_ without permission."

"Watch me."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any suggestions? Something I should mention or throw in.


	3. The Locket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor asks Brooklyn about her locket. In the last chapter, Brooklyn went on her first trip with the Doctor and ended up bringing five toddler Magmanons on board the TARDIS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like it so far?

"Billy, stop hanging from that lever. Christopher, I'll feed you in a second. Robert, you're doing okay. Evangeline, stop torturing your brother. Mark... oh Mark... what has Evangeline done to you?" Brooklyn sad gathering the crying Magmanon in her hands.

"Doctor, feed Christopher," she said trying to console Mark by rocking him a bit.

"I am a Timelord; I'm nobody's babysitting service," the Doctor retorted, but he relented anyway.

"Alright, Christopher, open big and wide. Oh, not that big. You have really sharp teeth. Brooklyn, I think his teeth are growing in!"

Brooklyn stooped to examine them. "Hmmm... better make sure to brush them properly. Oh, ow, Robert stop messing with my hair!" Brooklyn suddenly exclaimed trying to pry it out of the grasp of the little Magmanon.

The Doctor chuckled. "I used to have a friend that had hair like that... she was my wife actually. She... we... um... this is my wedding ring," the Doctor said holding out his hand towards Brooklyn.

As Brooklyn examined it, she touched the gold locket that hung around her neck. "Beautiful locket. Who gave it to you?" the Doctor asked.

"What locket?"

"That locket. You're touching it now."

"Oh. I didn't even notice. I don't remember. Must have had it for awhile. Didn't even know it was there. No, Billy, stop that!" Brooklyn said setting Mark down and running over to Billy.

The Doctor returned to feeding Christopher. "What was your wife's name?" asked Brooklyn.

The Doctor looked up. "River Song... Melody Pond... Mels Zucker... Melody Williams... Melody Malone... she had a lot of names," he concluded with a sigh.

"River Song's a lovely name," mumbled Brooklyn.

"It is. She was the daughter of two of my companions. She... she died saving me," the Doctor said looking down sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I saw a door marked with the name River Song on the TARDIS. I didn't know that was your wife's room..."

"How did you know that room was marked River Song?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

He paused with the spoon he was feeding Christopher with in the air just out of his reach causing Christopher to strain to crawl towards it and take the spoon out of the Doctor's hand without him noticing. "It says it on the door. I just said that."

"Yes, but her name is written in Gallifreyan," the Doctor tried to explain.

"So? The TARDIS translated it for me," Brooklyn said finally being able to get Billy to play quietly with a toy Ood she found lying around somewhere.

"No, impossible. The TARDIS doesn't translate Gallifreyan," the Doctor said shaking his head.

"Then... maybe I'm from Gallifrey! I don't know who I am or where I'm from anyway. I've only just started discovering myself," Brooklyn said walking towards the Doctor.

"I scanned you. You're fully human..."

"Wait, you scanned me?"

"I saw one heart."

"What else did you see?"

"Everything was absolutely one-hundred percent human."

"Christopher!"

The little Magmanon had reached his hands in the jar of mashed peaches he was eating and had it smeared all over his face. He blinked innocently at Brooklyn. "Don't worry. I've got him," the Doctor said picking him up to observe his sticky face and fingers.

"You're never feeding any of them again!" Brooklyn yelled to the Doctor who was on his way to give Christopher a bath.

"Good!"

Brooklyn rolled her eyes. After about thirty minutes of playing with Christopher's brothers and sister, she got up to lead them to their room. "There. 2,000 Fahrenheit. That should be hot enough," she said setting the temperature of the room the Magmanons stayed in.

"You sound _so American,"_ said a voice behind Brooklyn.

The Doctor set down the now cleaned Christopher so he could catch up with his brothers and sisters. "Yeah, I grew up in America," replied Brooklyn absent- mindedly as she watched Christopher toddle into his scalding hot room.

"Then you're not from Gallifrey. You're from Earth."

"Earth? Wait, how would you know that?" she asked finally paying attention.

"You're human, and you just said that you grew up in America. You also used Fahrenheit. Only Americans do that."

"I said I grew up in America?" Brooklyn asked trying to wrap her head around it.

"Yes. Do you remember anything in particular about where in America you grew up?" prodded the Doctor.

"No, I can't... I... I did grow up in America, but..." Brooklyn started to cry, "I can't remember. Why can't I remember? Why... why am I crying?"

She started to hold her head. "Brooklyn, are you alright? Are you ok?" the Doctor asked placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sick. I'm dying," she replied grimacing with pain.

"No, it's ok. You're not dying. You're fine. It's ok. I've got you. We'll just go to your room, and you can lie down," the Doctor said slinging her arm around his shoulder and wrapping his arm around her waist for support.

"But I can fix that," Brooklyn whispered so softly that the Doctor couldn't hear her.

When they stumbled into her room, the Doctor couldn't help but gape at what he saw. The walls were all TARDIS blue, and were covered with Gallifreyan. "The TARDIS must have done this. But why write this?" he thought to himself reading the Gallifreyan.

There was a list of names: boy and girl names on one wall, a recount of the adventure him and Brooklyn had just been on on another wall, drawings and blueprints of different devices on the TARDIS on another wall, and various words such as "companions", "Gallifrey", "TARDIS", "Doctor", "Timelord", and "regeneration" written on another. "I'm gonna add America to that list," Brooklyn said weakly pointing to the wall where the words were written.

"You did this?" the Doctor asked his mouth dry.

"Yeah. I did. I've been on here a week with nothing to do, but look after five toddlers who spend most of their time in the pool boiling the water," Brooklyn replied with a small smile.

"Okay. Into bed," said the Doctor stunned.

He and Brooklyn staggered to her bed where the Doctor slowly helped her lie down. "Doctor, who's the Master?" she suddenly asked.

"What?"

"The Master. Do you know him?" Brooklyn persisted.

"Yes. Do you?" the Doctor asked with a horrified look on his face.

"He heard the drums. The four drumbeats in one continuous rhythm. I hear it too. Only sometimes... when I'm going to sleep. I can hear the rhythm. It's not drums though. It's a heartbeat. I can hear a heartbeat. It puts me to sleep."

The Doctor nodded. "The heartbeat of a Timelord. That's what you're hearing," he said.

"Was I raised by Timelords maybe?" Brooklyn asked already falling asleep.

"I doubt that... You were raised in America. In America?"

Brooklyn nodded sleepily. "Maybe... oh... oh I know exactly where we are going tomorrow. Goodnight, Brooklyn, and don't smile when you say hello," said the Doctor before getting up to head out the room towards the console.

He turned around just in time to see the ceiling of Brooklyn's room suddenly flash with a bright shine of silver. In bright, shining silver Gallifreyan calligraphy was a Gallifreyan lullaby that looked as if it was burned into the ceiling. "Oh, Sexy, you are really putting up with our little guest, aren't you?" said the Doctor standing in Brooklyn's doorway.

The TARDIS hummed. "I'll go so far as to say you like her," accused the Doctor.

The TARDIS kept humming, and the Gallifreyan on the ceiling flashed again. "Are you telepathically singing her to sleep?" the Doctor asked bewildered.

The TARDIS hummed a little louder. "Well then, make sure she has sweet dreams."

The TARDIS lurched a little at that. "What? You're the one who's been apparently putting her to sleep."

The TARDIS lurched again. "You know, I kind of liked it better when you disliked Clara."

The TARDIS made a couple beeping noises as if it was laughing. "Stop liking my companions more than me. It's a little rude."

Suddenly the words _, "You_ leave the brakes on," flashed through his mind.

"Oi! Let me love the noise!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on. Suggestions? There's gotta be something even if you're suggestion is to stop writing. I'd appreciate it.


	4. Torchwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor finds the three people who may be able to help him with his "Brooklyn situation". In the last chapter, the Doctor found out that Brooklyn had been raised in America and is able to write and understand Gallifreyan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it bad? I'll stop if it's bad. Is it bad?

Brooklyn clutched the console as the TARDIS spun and jerked. "Why is the TARDIS so upset?" asked Brooklyn.

"Why don't you ask her?" retorted the Doctor.

"Tell me!"

"She knows we're meeting someone who rubs her the wrong way," responded the Doctor.

"Who?" asked Brooklyn curiously.

"Just don't smile when you shake hands."

The TARDIS landed roughly as if it had an attitude. The Doctor pushed open the doors and looked around. "Where are we?" asked Brooklyn.

"In a top secret part of Torchwood. Hey, Mickey the Idiot! I'm waiting!" the Doctor yelled into the empty room save for a few boxes and cobwebs.

Suddenly a man and a woman appeared with large guns aimed directly at the Doctor and Brooklyn. "Martha, Mickey. Glad to see you still aim guns as a family. Okay, here's your little guest. I'll be dropping her off here today, and I will pick her up in... oh... six hours. She'll explain everything. Have fun," the Doctor said turning back to the TARDIS.

"Doctor?" asked Martha confused.

Mickey straightened a little. "Yes, that's me. I've changed twice since you last saw me. I'll just be going now," he said walking towards the TARDIS.

"Doctor," said a familiar voice.

The Doctor let out a sigh, and the TARDIS shuddered. "Jack. Nice to see you. I'll be on my way," the Doctor said without turning to face the man.

"You haven't even seen me," replied Jack grinning.

"Do I want to?" asked the Doctor.

"I don't know. You tell me."

The Doctor let out a groan, rolled his eyes, and swung around. "Oh my gosh you've aged so much," gasped Martha.

"Oh, quite the opposite. I looked like a flipping kid in my last regeneration yet I was already in my 1100s. I've just started a whole new cycle of regenerations. I'm young. I feel so young, but I know I'm so old," said the Doctor running his hand through his hair.

"Hmm... an old man that's really a young man who's an old man... this could get interesting," said Jack smirking.

"Stop it."

"And such a young companion may I add. Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness, and who are you?" Jack said introducing himself to Brooklyn with an outstretched hand.

Without a grin or smile, Brooklyn responded, "Hello."

She turned back to the Doctor. "Is this what you meant?"

"Precisely. You did excellent," said the Doctor to Brooklyn, "Now I'll just be going..."

"Stay," demanded Martha.

The Doctor sighed. "I'm not doing this for you, you know. I'm only staying just in case she turns out to be a Nestene duplicate or something," the Doctor said walking back towards where Jack and Brooklyn were standing.

"Jack, you're too close," said the Doctor pushing him away a little bit.

"Follow me," said Mickey leading them down a corridor.

As Brooklyn walked down a corridor, she tried to remember what happened last night. He was there. The man in the bowtie. He was there last night. He was crying. Suddenly a tear slid down her own cheek. She brushed it off but the choking feeling before that comes on before crying was still there. _Who am I, and who is he_? she thought. "We're here," Mickey said opening a door that led a room that was all white save for the alien tech that was scattered around it.

"You know, I heard you were working for Torchwood from a while back, but why?" asked the Doctor to Martha and Mickey.

"You wanna know a secret?" asked Mickey with a grin.

"Yeah."

"This part of Torchwood's so secret that Torchwood doesn't even know it exists."

The Doctor nodded his head and mouthed the word "oh" before making eye contact with Brooklyn and shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, you are not going to find anything interesting in that. That's a toaster. Oooh, do you want to learn how to play that one? It's a musical instrument! I know a guy who can give you lessons. Oh, let me have a look. You've found debris. Marvelous, marvelous job. Woah, I can see why you want to study that. That blender can make a mean watermelon smoothie. Seriously, guys, is this what you do? Go around and pick up various alien kitchen appliances. Wow, let me take a look at that..."

"Is he always this obnoxious now?" asked Martha to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn shrugged. "Most of the time... all the time," she admitted.

"Alright, here we are. We'll start with a few basic questions, and then move on to the scary stuff," said Jack, "Open your mouth, and say 'Ahhh'... okay, she's not carrying any life- threatening diseases. What's your name?"

"Brooklyn."

"Full name."

"Don't know. I actually made up Brooklyn."

Jack turned to Martha and Mickey. "Doctor, did you know that she doesn't even know her full name?" he asked.

"Yeah, nothing new," the Doctor responded moving on to criticize a poor girl who was typing away on a computer.

Jack shrugged but continued, "Age?"

"Don't know."

"We can scan. Parents?"

"Don't remember."

"Country of origin."

"America. The Doctor said I sound like an American, and I must have mentioned I grew up here."

"So, suffering from extreme memory loss, and Doctor- traveling. Anything else?"

"I can read, and write, and speak Gallifreyan, but ssh... the Doctor doesn't know I can speak it. The TARDIS seems to have a strong bond with me. Telepathic bond. I can understand her more than the Doctor can."

The thought flashed across her mind to tell them about the man in the bowtie, but the voice inside her head that sometimes whispered to her, especially while she slept, told her not to. That voice was also something she decided not to tell the Torchwood team about. "Alright, so remember that scary stuff we talked about earlier? Well, this is it, kid. Okay, just stand over here, and keep still. The machine is just going to scan you. It may feel weird, and you might hear strange sounds, but it's nothing dangerous. After that, we will search your brain using telepathic programming. It's okay. You might even feel old memories you thought were lost or don't remember reawakening. Afterwards, we'll discuss results, okay?" explained Jack raising his eyebrows.

Brooklyn gave a fearless nod. "That's a good girl," said Jack closing the door to the machine behind her as she stepped inside.

"Okay, so the machine is clear so we can see you at all times. You have a nothing to worry about," reassured Martha.

Brooklyn nodded, and the machine roared to life. The Doctor looked on as bright lights flooded the area where Brooklyn was standing. He stopped chastising the whole place to watch the process. Brooklyn stood with her hands folded across her chest with her weight shifted to one leg chewing a stick of mint gum.

"We're going to start the telepathy now," stated Martha.

Brooklyn nodded nonchalantly. Telepathy. Big deal. But it was a big deal, and at first nothing particularly disturbing happened. There was a low ringing sound in the back of Brooklyn's head. It grew louder and louder until she clamped her hands around her ears and fell to her knees. "Make it stop! Make it stop, no!" she cried through angry tears and tears born out of the pain this part of process was giving her.

The Doctor leaped down from the platform he was standing on and ran over to Brooklyn who was lying on the floor of the machine whimpering, "My head. My head."

The door was opened and all four entered. The first to speak was Martha. "No physical damage except for a headache," she told the three men.

"Can you speak? Is it still hurting you?" asked Mickey.

Brooklyn kept crying.

"Any pain anywhere else?" asked Jack.

Brooklyn kept crying.

"Are feeling sick?" asked the Doctor, and immediately Brooklyn stopped crying.

She looked up at the four of them with a fake smile and said, "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that."

Jack, Martha, and Mickey breathed a sigh of relief. The Doctor lingered for a bit before helping her to her feet to read the scans. "Let's see. She's 100% human so not a Nestene duplicate. Age... she's less than a year? What? Um, okay. Nothing really interesting. She may come down with a slight cold in about three months. On to the telepathic readings. Psychic field... oh my gosh... it's off the charts!" Jack exclaimed.

"What? Let me see that," demanded the Doctor snatching the paper that had the report on it out of Jack's hand. Mickey peered over her the Doctor's shoulder. "Something's been communicating with her telepathically," he declared.

"Yeah, the TARDIS," answered Brooklyn.

"No, something else. See, we can tell the TARDIS apart from other things. We've scanned the TARDIS before," continued Mickey.

"When have you scanned my TARDIS?"

Mickey gave a slight smirk, "But this is something different. This, right here, it's strong, and with your psychic field there's no doubt you've been hearing it in your conscious mind. What have you been hearing?" asked Mickey.

"Nothing!" blurted out Brooklyn.

"The reason why you got that headache earlier was because this thing was fighting against the telepathy. You felt it. That means it's been communicating with your aware mind now what is it?" asked Jack with a little added harshness.

"Are you a Tenza?" asked the Doctor suddenly.

"What? No, I'm not a Tenza. If I was a Tenza, I'd be whatever you wanted me to be, and that would be gone from the TARDIS," answered Brooklyn.

"Brooklyn, I've never told you about the Tenzas, and we've never encountered any of them. How did you know?" asked the Doctor curiously.

"I... I don't know. Just sorta came out I guess," said Brooklyn looking up at the Doctor.

"Brooklyn, when you told the Doctor that you grew up in America, did you say that while you were preoccupied with something else?" asked Jack with an "Aha!" face.

"Yeah, I was watching Christopher go to bed," answered Brooklyn.

"And I bet you didn't even realize you said it right... wait, who's Christopher? Never mind, not important back to the first question."

"No."

"Do you remember much of what happened afterwards?"

"It's fuzzy."

"Ha! She's like an Ood! She's got a sub-subconscious! The thing was fighting the telepathy, but there were no mental blocks in her subconscious, see. And look, there were mental blocks in here aware mind. The telepathy did reach her sub-conscious like it was supposed to, but was still fought against by... oh... I see... your aware mind, and your sub-subconscious fought against the telepathy. That makes sense. Okay, don't worry. There's not something controlling her mind, and it's not telling us," said Jack.

Everyone including Brooklyn breathed a sigh of relief until Mickey piped up, "Yeah, but from the looks of it, the TARDIS has been helping to strengthen the mental blockage."

"What?" asked Jack as they all crowded around Mickey who now held the reports.

"Oh, the TARDIS likes her, but I don't know why she would do something like that," admitted the Doctor giving Brooklyn a quick strange look.

"Brooklyn, according to this, your subconscious and conscious mind has been receiving telepathic signals from the TARDIS merging with your sub-subconscious. The TARDIS is actually communicating with you on a higher level than we've ever seen it before. Tell us what's been happening," pleaded Mickey.

Brooklyn could feel tears brimming in her eyes. Everything in her told her no, especially the little voice in her head, but she had to say it, "I see a man in a bowtie! Sometimes he cries, sometimes he smiles. I... I don't know why I'm crying."

"Well the fact that you are aware that you are crying but do not know why indicates that your subconscious mind is influencing your conscious mind. Maybe if we ran a few more tests..."

"No," the Doctor cut Jack off, "Maybe I'll bring her back another time, but not now she's been through enough. We've both been through enough... we'll just be going now."

"Doctor, are you okay? Your face is as white as a sheet," Martha said approaching him.

"I'm fine. Just a busy day. Come, Brooklyn let's head back to the... oh no, come back with that!" exclaimed the Doctor.

Brooklyn had had a blank expression on her face, but she soon began to chuckle at the sight of the Doctor jogging after the TARDIS that was being carted away.

Before long, everyone was laughing at the scene. "I swear if you scan her again it will be the last thing you ever scan. Jack, make them stop! Brooklyn, come help me chase the TARDIS!"

Brooklyn laughed harder and got up to join the Doctor in the pursuit after his time machine. "Love the running!" she exclaimed.

The Doctor looked back at her and smiled, "Oh, Brooklyn, as long as you're with me, that's all we'll ever do."

Brooklyn ran to catch up with the Doctor and his beloved TARDIS. "Yes, Doctor, you watch us run," she said to herself.

 

 


	5. Just Popped out for a Space Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the chapter title is completely taken from a quote from Donna. In this chapter, Brooklyn reflects on the life she's living now in comparison to the people "back home". Anyway, in the last chapter, the Doctor takes Brooklyn to Torchwood to try to figure out what is going on with her loss of memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice little chapter.

It has been a month since Brooklyn first woke up on the TARDIS. The Doctor has gotten used to having her... and the Magmanons aboard. Time goes by, and the days are normal. Save a planet, a species, a galaxy, no biggie right? Hear a word like "ganger", and it gets written on the wall. At night there are the dreams. There are the dreams of prison bars, spacemen, and libraries. It is a normal day for Brooklyn. Well, that was a normal day for Brooklyn, but today was not normal. Something was nagging her.

It was April 22. The dreams had never been so vivid, the man in the bowtie appeared again and again, and the voice in Brooklyn's head had never been more quiet. It was all too confusing, and she had to get somewhere where she could clear her mind so she waited. She waited until the Doctor left the console room to get something before she made her move. "Okay, TARDIS, they told me we've got a connection," she said.

 _Take me where I need to go,_ she thought trying to establish the telepathic bond. She was successful in establishing the bond... just not so successful in getting the TARDIS to go where she wanted. "What do you mean I have to learn how to fly myself!" exclaimed Brooklyn.

The TARDIS wheezed in response. "Alright, well, just teach me how to get near Earth," said Brooklyn.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was punching in coordinates and pulling levers with the TARDIS giving her directions. When she was done, she ran to the TARDIS doors and pushed them open. According to the TARDIS... and the sign on the TARDIS... the doors say pull to open. There it was... the Earth. Apparently, that was where she was from. That place, right there, that was America. She was from that spot, but it did not feel like it. A few minutes later she was chewing a peanut butter sandwich and watching the Earth's rotation. "Brings back any memories?" said a voice behind her.

Brooklyn did not turn around. She knew it was the Doctor. "No... well a little. I don't know; it's a little fuzzy. The weird thing is being here in the TARDIS looking down on Earth feels more at home than actually being on Earth," answered Brooklyn truthfully.

"That is strange," said the Doctor sitting beside her.

Brooklyn swung her legs a bit. "You know, when we were at Torchwood, those people were studying alien tech because they've never seen it before. People on Earth don't normally do what we do. I'm from Earth. I should be one of them, yet I'm not. This is my life. This is the only life I've ever known. Isn't that strange? I'm the first human never to have been born apparently. I've never had a life on Earth... ever. I'm not special, but I am. This whimsical "walk-among-the-stars" life is mine," she broke off with a sigh.

"Oh, Brooklyn, you are very special. The reason why I keep you on board is because you are so so special. You... you make me better. Someone told me not to travel alone, yet when I travel with someone, they always end up hurt, or their family gets hurt, or they leave, or they... they... they die. I feel like it leaves me worse off, but the someone else comes along, and it begins all over again" the Doctor said with a hint of subtle wrath in his voice.

"Doctor, I don't have a family that could miss me, and I like it here. If I die saving the universe, so what? I would have died doing the right thing," Brooklyn said looking up at the Doctor.

"You're right, and that's the scary part. I can't see you like I do other companions. I'm willing to take the risk with you. That scares me because whenever I find out I can take the risk with someone I..." the Doctor looked down at his wedding band, "It's our anniversary. Today was the day I married my murderer. It's a love story for the ages... literally our story is actually recorded in some texts. That's why River asked if she marries me or kills me. Some texts record one or the other but never both. Well, just for the record both happened! Ha! When I found out she was a Timelady I... I just never really thought about her having any weaknesses. I knew when she would die... in my name, but I never thought about the damage I had caused her. She had a horrible childhood because of me. She lived watching the man she loved gradually forget her. After she died, I never thought to go back and say goodbye because... I didn't want to.  I had a companion... Clara... I... I felt myself, how do you say it, _falling for her_ in my last face. After I regenerated, I no longer felt that way because I knew she was only human. I had gotten over it, but with River it's different. She was the only one who could handle me... all of me... every single one of my faces, personalities, and darkest moments so I married her. I married her to fix a broken timeline yes, but also so I could run back to her. I could run back to River I told myself. I'll never let her go. My River. My bespoke..."

"...psychopath," Brooklyn breathed.

The Doctor did not ask her how she knew. She knew many secrets that occasionally slipped from her tongue. "I suppose you have to move on. Always keep moving. I suppose that's how it's gotta be. Doctor, I don't think I could ever handle being River. She had to watch her love slip away without anything to be done. It must have hurt," said Brooklyn trying to control the tear that was threatening to glide down her cheek.

"Yeah, and the wrist hurt pretty bad too," the Doctor mumbled before getting up and moving towards the console.

Brooklyn sat staring at the Earth. She called to the Doctor, "Why did your wife have to live watching the man she loved slowly forget her?"

"Our lives were back to front... what with time travel and all. The first time I met her was the last time she saw me. She... she told me not to change our history... not one line. She had to die to live. Can you believe that? She had to die so that I could meet little Amelia in her backyard who would then travel with me in the TARDIS with her husband who would spend their honeymoon in the TARDIS resulting in a baby who is human plus Timelord. Then, she would grow up to ensure her own birth by setting her mother and father up together before regenerating into River Song. The pain... I'm surprised the pain didn't kill her first," the Doctor ended looking down at the console gripping the controls tightly.

Strange tears stung Brooklyn's eyes. "I saved her to a computer in a place called the Library. She's there now... living forever I suppose," said the Doctor almost choking on the self- hate that was brewing in his mind.

"I don't think I could be River Song. I wouldn't be able to cope. Which would be worse? Spending all your days in a living death or coming back just to find out that the man you love... the man you died for... has moved on to someone else," said Brooklyn letting the tears roll down her cheeks.

She was not sad, but she seemed to cry at random times. Wiping the tears away, she turned around to see the Doctor crying himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments? Suggestions. Love all the readers, kudoers, and subscribers. Would really love some commenters and suggestioners.


	6. Melody Pond Can Never Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, Brooklyn and the Doctor had a talk about companions and his wife. In this chapter, well... Melody Pond can never escape.

"Doctor?" asked Brooklyn getting up from her spot on the floor and closing the TARDIS.

"Sorry, um, where do you want to go?" asked the Doctor wiping the tears from his face.

"Anywhere. I don't know... maybe..." Brooklyn began as a signal flashed on the scanner.

"Oh that's just brilliant," sighed the Doctor as he began punching buttons and pulling levers.

"What is it?" asked Brooklyn bending down to peer at the scanner.

The Doctor looked down at her with a sly grin, "A Magmanon ship."

The TARDIS lurched suddenly sending Brooklyn to the floor. "Oi! Easy there, Old Girl, you could have broken something... or someone... sorry about that, Brooklyn, just latching onto the signal."

Brooklyn groaned and got up. The TARDIS lurched again spinning crazily out of control. The Doctor ran over to Brooklyn who fallen again on the floor. "Are you alright? Nothing broken?" he asked.

"I think... I think I may have sprained my leg. It's okay. It doesn't hurt as much, see?" asked Brooklyn trying to move it.

"Brooklyn, I can see you grimacing. Let me see it. Remember, I'm the Doctor."

Brooklyn smiled at that, and the Doctor looked at her leg. It was spurting blood, and the bone was visible. "Okay, more than a sprain. Alright, now I'm gonna do something a little strange, and you might feel warm and tingly, but it's fine," the Doctor said placing his hands on her leg.

Regeneration energy seeped out his hands into her leg. _First it was dark, but then there was light, and the feeling was so much stronger. It was so achingly familiar, but it was still so strange. Light burst forth from my body and then it was done. I was a new person. I wasn't Melody Pond, the woman who killed the Doctor. I wasn't River Song, the woman who married the Doctor. It was just me, and soon, the TARDIS._

"I've seen that before... I've seen that before. I know I have," Brooklyn sputtered looking at her now healed leg.

"Have you now?" asked the Doctor slightly disturbed by this new bit of information.

"Yes, I have."

_It's really easy... see? Shut up, Dad, I'm focusing on a dress size. River, no, what are you doing? It must hurt; come here._

"He's you," gasped Brooklyn fingering her locket.

"Who's me?" asked the Doctor with a confused face.

"The man in the bowtie. He's you. Why didn't you tell me?" asked Brooklyn wonderingly.

"Because HE'S. NOT. ME!" shouted the Doctor, "He's not. He never has, never will be. He... I... why was I him? Why was I so bubbly and happy and energetic and _a madman with a box?_ Times change, and so must I... I'll always remember when the Doctor was him. Doesn't mean I won't regret it."

"Fish fingers and custard. Bowties. Tweed. Victorian London. Clara, River, Rory, Amy. Idris, Sexy, Old Girl. Bunk beds are cool, fezzes are cool, Stetsons are cool, glasses are cool, bowties are cool. The Madman with a Box. The Girl Who Waited. The Boy Who Waited. The Last Centurion. The Woman Who Killed the Doctor. The Woman Who Married the Doctor. The Impossible Girl. Vastra, Jenny, Strax. Need I say more? Need I say what keeps me up at night? I see a whole life of a man flash before my eyes, and yet I don't know who he is, and it's been you. All those words are written on my wall. You could have... you could..." Brooklyn fainted. 

The Doctor gathered her in his arms to take her to her room. The Magmanons were playing quietly in the corridor, but they stopped as they saw the Doctor slowly marching to his destination holding Brooklyn. "Go on, Evangeline, keep torturing Mark," he instructed.

The Doctor pushed Brooklyn's door open with his foot and laid her gently on the bed. He was slightly furious with her but also strangely calm. His eyes lifted up to the "wall of words". He lightly glanced over them until his eyes alighted on one particular word- "silence". Horrified, he stepped back from the wall only for his eyes to catch written under "silence" the sentence "Silence will fall." Enraged and scared he ran to the console room. The TARDIS had landed ages ago, but he was too preoccupied with Brooklyn to open the doors yet. Approaching the doors, he swung them open and then... blackness.

Brooklyn's eyes fluttered open to the face of an older man peering at her with two younger men at his side. She blinked a bit before asking, "Who are you?"

The man let out a skin- crawling chuckle before answering, "Oh, my dear, Melody, you've certainly tried to escape this time."

 


	7. Hello, I'm...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, Brooklyn and the Doctor are kidnapped. In this chapter, secrets will be revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's it going? Is it making sense?

The Doctor woke up on a cold, hard floor in a cell. Turning his head a little, he saw an adult Magmanon staring at him. "Hey, you, are you real?" he asked.

The Magmanon shook his head yes. "Yeah? Okay, then. Let me go. I haven't kidnapped your kids or anything. They're safe on the TARDIS," said the Doctor collecting his limbs together so he could stand up.

"And that's where they will stay. I wouldn't dare bring my children out here," the Magmanon responded looking around nervously.

The Doctor searched his jacket only to find no sonic screwdriver. Looking to his left, he spied it sitting on a counter. "Okay, if you get that little thing over there on the counter, I promise you I can get you out of whatever trouble you're in," pleaded the Doctor.

The Magmanon shook his head no. "Okay then, melt the bars," suggested the Doctor.

The Magmanon again shook his head no. "Why not?" the Doctor asked demanding to know.

The Magmanon looked around nervously again. "Because I'm not risking my planet for your freedom, Doctor. I'm sorry."

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pocket and leaned back to slouch against the back wall of the cell he was in. "Okay, I suppose I will have to wait. Just one question. Who kidnapped me?"

The Magmanon drew close to the cell and whispered, "The Silence."

* * *

 Brooklyn awoke on a hard, cold floor in a cell that had a guard standing in front of the bars. Her first instinct was to draw the guard in for a kiss. That was strange. "Um, hello, is this about the Magmanons? They're okay. I've been taking care of them," said Brooklyn.

The guard had his back turned towards her. He did not turn around or utter a single word. "You can talk to the Doctor. He'll explain everything," Brooklyn tried.

Still, no response. She slumped against the back of the cell and played with her locket. After a little while, a door slid open to reveal the old man and his two sidekicks she had seen earlier. The guard walked towards the older man, and Brooklyn could hear him say, "She doesn't even know who she is."

"To be understood, to be understood. Hello, my dear. Sorry to knock you out again. We had to take all necessary precautions. My name is Doctor Sharton. You probably don't remember me. Then again, you probably don't remember anything. Pretty locket," commented the older man.

"Oh, thank you. Sometimes I don't even notice it's there," responded Brooklyn looking down at it.

"Perception filter."

"What?"

"That locket has a perception filter on it that causes it to go unnoticed unless it is pointed out," explained Doctor Sharton.

"Oh."

"Now open it, Melody," demanded Doctor Sharton.

"What? No, I refuse. I'm not Melody. There's been some mistake. I'm Brooklyn... I think... I'm not opening the locket. I can't. I'm not supposed to!" said Brooklyn clutching at her locket.

"You've forced my hand, Melody. You're making me angry. Open the locket, or your precious Magmanons are dead," threatened Doctor Sharton his lips curling up into a twisted smile.

Brooklyn felt the tears coming. Her trembling hands found their way to her locket again. It was the only chance she had of escaping, finding the Doctor, and saving the Magmanons. "Promise me you'll leave them alone. Don't kill them, please," Brooklyn begged.

"Cross my heart..." replied Doctor Sharton, "... and both of his," he added quietly.

Brooklyn opened the locket.

* * *

 "The Silence? That's impossible. The Silence already killed me today on April 22, 2011. Well, I suppose I'm still alive so that didn't technically happen," the Doctor said running his hand through his hair.

"They've gone through extreme measures to make sure that they capture you. As you may know, Magmanons build some of the best ships in the universe so what do they do? They enslave our planet in order for us to build them the ultimate ship. They've even found Melody Pond!" the Magmanon exclaimed.

At this, the Doctor laughed. "Melody Pond? My wife you mean. Pack your bags because we're leaving this place and saving your planet. I mean, even if they got a younger River that didn't really know me, her future self would have told me about this."

"Doctor?" asked the Magmanon confused.

"See, maybe you're not getting it. _My_ _wife_ wouldn't kill me," explained the Doctor.

Just then, the door slammed open, and a woman with blazing eyes and regeneration energy radiating off of her as she entered the room. She had a gun aimed directly at the Doctor's head. "Brooklyn, no, what have they done to you?" asked the Doctor with sad yet curious eyes.

"Just stand there and shut up," said Brooklyn stepping nearer to the cell, "If you would excuse us a moment," she said to Doctor Sharton and his two sidekicks who were standing in the doorway.

They left, and Brooklyn could hear Doctor Sharton saying something about, "Wait 'til the rest of the Silence hear about this."

"Brooklyn, you..."

"I'm not Brooklyn."

"No, please, you're my companion."

"You bet I am."

"No, Brooklyn, you don't understand... wait what?"

"Number one, I'm not Brooklyn just Brooke now would be fine. Number two, you're Daddy right?" she asked the thoroughly frightened Magmanon.

The Magmanon nodded slowly still scared. "Right," Brooke said walking over to the counter on the left of the Doctor's cell to pick up his sonic.

She soniced open the cell, and the Doctor stumbled out shocked. "Now into the TARDIS," instructed Brooke.

"What? Wait, who are you? Where's Brooklyn?" asked the Doctor.

Brooke snapped her fingers, and the inside of the TARDIS appeared. "Now we can stand here asking questions, or we can get inside and discuss this later. How many Magmanons on board?"

"Three, Miss Melody... Miss Pond... Mrs. Doctor?" tried the Magmanon.

"I told you I'm Brooke."

Ten minutes later, eight Magmanons were on board the TARDIS. "Tell me who you are," demanded the Doctor grabbing Brooke's wrist.

She gave him a slight smile and stood on her toes to whisper in his ear, "Look into my eye."

The Doctor did. He was mesmerized. "But you're not possible. You're literally living time. You're an embodiment of the time vortex, but how? How is it possible? What happened? Why..."

The Doctor was cut off. Brooke put a finger on his lips and hushed him. "More on that subject later, but right now, we've got a planet to save."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's still more to come. The Doctor still has questions.


	8. Do You Wanna Build a Volcano?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Brooke f.k.a. Brooklyn save the Magmanons. In the last chapter, Brooklyn opens her locket and becomes Brooke. Get it? Brooke and River? Don't worry. Brooke knows she's River now.

"All eight of you, a time machine, and a sonic screwdriver are all we need to save your planet," said Brooke to the three adult Magmanons on board the TARDIS, "Sorry Mom, Dad, and Uncle, but the children have to work too in order for this to work."

The Magmanons nodded their heads in agreement. "Alright, Doctor, have you set the coordinates?" asked Brooke.

"Yes, but you should rest. You're... regenerating. Does time need to rest? How do you even have a body? Why are you regenerating?" the Doctor asked.

"We can talk later, Doctor, but now we really need to get moving on this project. Now Magmastonia has an underground city from an ancient civilization, right?" asked Brooke.

One Magmanon shook his head. "Good, though I was sort of looking forward to using this," Brooke said sadly holding up a blaster.

"Guns don't work in the TARDIS."

"Liar!"

Soon, the TARDIS landed in the underground of Magmastonia. Brooke was the first to step out the TARDIS. "All this rock and eight Magmanons. How easy is it for you all to melt it?" she asked.

One little Magmanon had already started playing with a glowing mass of rock. "Pretty easy then. Okay, this spot right here is the weakest part of the ground above us. This is the spot where we will begin making the pile of molten rock. Oooh, the city of Lavanthion I suppose this is? Always wanted to go here. Now, I'm melting it. Oh well. Melt what you can, but of course take breaks when necessary. I need to speak to the Doctor," ended Brooke making her way to the Doctor who was still standing in the doorway of the TARDIS.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Who are you?" returned the Doctor, "One minute you're Brooklyn who felt the need to start a nursery on my TARDIS, and now you're this. I mean, you're regenerating. How? Look at you. You've got gold light all over your body. Shouldn't it have subsided by now?"

"Doctor, I'll explain later, but right now, you have to trust me. The TARDIS can exert a sort of field of protection around living objects in hostile atmospheres. Sonicing that field will result in a lot of pressure. Now, that pressure will cause all the molten rock in here to explode towards the surface kind of like a volcano. We give the Silence a chance to get off this planet before it explodes in white hot heat. After all, the Magmanons will survive it. The Silence will not," ended Brooke with her voice a little darker.

"Okay, good plan. It's clever. Really, you should be resting though, I can oversee the Magmanons," the Doctor said to her.

"Doctor, I'm fine. It's just regeneration. I'm okay. I haven't even..." Brooke couldn't even finish her as she grabbed her stomach and breathed out breath laced with sparkling golden light. 

She swallowed and looked up at the Doctor. He was frowning, but he shrugged and left her near the TARDIS so he could see what the Magmanons were doing. Brooke looked after him as he walked away.  _Older face while I have the younger one. The roles have been switched. I wonder why he did it. I don't have to wonder. I know him. He did it because he's owning up to himself. He's old. He's seen so much. It's time he started acting like it. I'm old too, yet I have a younger face. Why? What am I owning up to?_

"Brooke, I set my shoe on fire!"

"Oh, I hate him," Brooke said to herself walking towards him.

The Doctor looked up suddenly. "No, you don't," he muttered.

"I'm sorry?" asked Father Magmanon who Brooke and the Doctor had begun to call Isaac because Magmanon names are really hard to pronounce.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something," the Doctor said looking up at Brooke who was approaching him with a bucket of water.

Brooke promptly threw the water over his head. "Where did you even get a bucket of water?"

"The TARDIS left it right inside the door like I knew she would."

The Doctor muttered something about not having to douse him in water because his foot was the only thing on fire. Brooke laughed brightly. The Doctor huffed. Two and a half hours later, a large pile of molten rock had formed, and the heat was stifling both Brooke and the Doctor. "In the TARDIS?" suggested Brooke.

"In the TARDIS," replied the Doctor grabbing Brooke's and running inside.

After materializing the sonic above the planet, the Doctor turned on his sonic to begin to make his speech to the renegade chapter of the Silence, but Brooke snatched it away from him. "Let me," she said grinning a grin much to sinister for the Doctor to believe that any part of Brooklyn was still in there. The sonic whirred to life as Brooke said into it, "Renegade Kovarian chapter of the Silence, I have a proposition for you. You have four minutes to call your other friends on their spaceship to get you off this planet. Why you ask? 'Cause if you don't, my friend here has a machine that can cause the biggest magma explosion in all of history. Now, there you have it. Four minutes. My friend and I will survive the explosion. The Magmanons will survive the explosion. You will not. Oh, and if you don't believe me, I probably didn't mention to you who my friend was. His name is the Doctor."

The Doctor turned to Brooke. "Who are you exactly? How do you know me?" he asked

Brooke turned to him and grinned. "Ask me that question in four minutes."

The Doctor nodded and shrugged.

_Tick tock goes the clock_

_And there was no commotion._

_Tick Tock goes the clock_

_Until the big explosion._

Four minutes later, the Doctor was sonicing different wires in the TARDIS back in the underground of Magmastonia. "Did they leave?" asked Isaac.

"No. It was their choice," said the Doctor while the eight Magmanons watched him on board the TARDIS.

"Plenty of time to leave with the ship you built them. They could have been here and gone in thirty seconds," added Brooke watching the Doctor work.

"That wire doesn't need sonicing. Do you even know what your doing?" suddenly asked Brooke after watching the Doctor for awhile.

"Yes, I do. Look at the scanner," the Doctor instructed.

Brooke walked over, and indeed, the scanner was showing the field had been greatly extended beyond necessary and was causing a great deal of pressure. "Still, that wire didn't need sonicing!" shouted back Brooke.

"I needed to make a new room for my chalk collection!" yelled back the Doctor before everything exploded.

  


	9. Tell Me Who You Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, Brooke and the Doctor concoct a plan to rid Magmastonia of the Silence. In this chapter, the Doctor tries to deduce who Brooke is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

Brooke let out a sigh, placed her hands on the console, and smiled up at the Doctor, "So you have questions for me?"

"I do."

"I do too. Was your question to marry me?"

The Doctor looked at her from across the other side of the console. "Who are you?"

"Brooke."

"Who are you really?"

"Brooke."

"Where's your locket?"

"Gone."

"How do you mean 'gone'?" asked the Doctor scrunching up his attack- eyebrows.

"Gone."

"Why did they think you were Melody Pond?"

"I told them I was."

"And they believed you?"

"They seemed already convinced. Apparently, the old man, Doctor Sharton, and his crew broke off from the Kovarian chapter of the Silence shortly after Melody Pond escaped Greystark Hall. They believed their methods to be too slow and set out to kill you. Honestly, they would have killed you themselves, but they wanted to find Melody Pond to sort of be like a 'Ha! We found Melody and killed the Doctor' to the Silence."

"But why would they think you're Melody?"

"Number one reason: I'm the only person besides you who would be regenerating. They traced the regeneration energy back to me. Number two: They're idiots. Number three: They have no record of Melody Pond after she left Greystark. Of course history seemed to say you were dead, but you came out of hiding. They found you and thought 'Obviously the Silence hasn't found Melody Pond because the Doctor is still alive.' They apparently didn't know about the whole falling in love and dying in the Library thing."

The Doctor nodded just to play along. There was something wrong in that explanation though it was entirely right. Everything she said was true, but there was something missing. And _why won't she tell me who she is?_ "Why is it that when I look into your eyes I can see the whole of time and space living and breathing in them?" asked the Doctor.

"Aaah, this is where it gets complicated," Brooke said eying the Doctor with a smile.

"Try me, Timelord. Or should I say Timelady? Already scanned you," said the Doctor making his way round the console to where Brooke was standing, "Human plus at that," he added.

Something flashed across Brooke's face. _Was that fear? What is she afraid to tell me? Why is she afraid to tell me?_ "The first Timelords came about by being exposed to the Time Vortex through the Untempered Schism for long periods of time. They developed a telepathic link to the Time Vortex. Their bodies were able to harness time energy. Time energy is a powerful energy. It manifested itself in the form of regeneration energy. Raw time energy can cause powerful regenerations. The aftershocks can last for a long time. Anyway, generations later, the Timelords had integrated with the non- Timelord Gallifreyans. That's what created you lot. Half- breeds," said Brooke with a smile.

"Oi!"

"Regeneration energy was passed down as a gene. A biological fact of a Gallifreyan's composition rather than the harnessing of time energy."

"Is that why your regeneration has not subsided?" asked the Doctor inquiringly.

"Yes, and I don't know how to stop it. When people want to feel as if time stopped, they relax their minds. Maybe if I just..." Brooke took a deep breath, and the light drained only leaving a faint glow behind.

"While that's all well and good you're just missing one point. The original Timelords are dead. You are impossible. And you're only what? In your three- hundreds?" the Doctor observed drawing nearer to Brooke to inspect her.

"Some things you just can't explain," Brooke tried knowing that was weak, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Whoever has a direct link with the Time Vortex also would have a strong telepathic bond with the TARDIS. That explains that and how you got on board. The locket and the memory loss is explained by the chameleon arch which I presumed you used after you were on board the TARDIS. That's why you never noticed your locket. It had a perception filter around it, and that's why the scans showed that you were a human less than a year old. But why? Why'd you do this?" asked the Doctor.

_Why on everything in the universe would you do this?_ That fearful look passed over Brooke's face again. "I'm leaving tomorrow," she said turning away from the Doctor.

"Wait, no! Um, how did I get Clara to stay again? Oh, yeah, timey- wimey phone call. Not gonna work," mused the Doctor.

"I'm leaving. Sorry, I have something I have to do," Brooke said again.

"Okay, you're leaving, but not before we discuss... um... Timelord stuff. You know, I haven't been able to talk Timelord since my wife _who I love very much_ passed. Come on, stay the morning. Then you can leave. Just stay the morning tomorrow. I'm lonely. Really lonely. Stay," pleaded the Doctor.

_Why is she leaving so soon? Why won't she stay? Why won't she admit who she is?_ "I'm sorry, Doctor, but I have to go."

"Then I'm done. I finally have a chance at not being completely alone in this world, and it's gone. I haven't felt like this since I lost Amy and Rory. Come on, you're a Timelord. You've got to know how lonely it feels," pleaded the Doctor.

"I'll stay then... just for the morning," Brooke said.

The Doctor's face broke out into a grin. "How can I trust you? You have a telepathic link to the Time Vortex which means you can travel in all of time and space without using a vehicle... though it is a bit dangerous," the Doctor added.

"Trust me if you like," she said with a wink.

The Doctor nodded. Brooke walked off to her room. The Doctor turned back to the console and gripped the edge of it. _I've hurt her. I know I have. I didn't mean to; it's just my last face never wanted to look back. He always wanted to keep moving, and she forced me to look back. Every time I looked at her I saw her dying, and that hurt and stung, and I just wanted to forget. I hope she forgives me for what I do to her tomorrow. I just hope she forgives me._

 

 

 


	10. The Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, the Doctor and Brooke has a discussion about who she is. In this chapter, the Doctor delves further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so before you read this chapter, there is something very important that everyone must understand. I know probably everyone does, but just in case: Brooklyn was a fobwatched or "locketed" version of River Song. Brooke is Brooklyn un-fobwatched or "un-locketed" version of River Song so Brooke is an alias of River. You know, Brooke and River? Brooklyn didn't know she was River, but Brooke does. Okay, I'm pretty sure everyone knows that but just in case people got confused with the whole story.

The Doctor stood outside Brooke's door impatiently knocking. "Wakey, wakey! It's morning wake up. Timelords don't even need that much sleep.  Jeesh, you would think you spent all night arguing with the Gallifreyan high council..."

The door flew open, and there Brooke was with her wild mass of curls all unkempt and blazing eyes. "Still haven't slept off your regeneration energy?" asked the Doctor.

"Doctor, how long does regeneration normally last?"

"Fifteen hours."

"Do you know how much time has passed since we last spoke, Timelord?"

"Umm... no. Fancy telling me?"

"An hour! Come back in three hours. I'll be up," said Brooke slamming the door.

"But that means I'll have to wait. That's not fair. Three hours is a long time!" protested the Doctor into the shut door.

"Amy had to wait twelve years!"

"How do you know that?"

"I have a link to the time vortex. I can see everything; now leave the door!" commanded Brooke.

The Doctor leaned his head against the door and smiled. She was still the same woman. Still the same. Oh, she may do certain things differently, but she'll still do them. "Doctor, I know you're still there. Take a trip to Raxicoricofallipitorious. There's always something to do there. Actually, try Skaro. You seem to have a thing for Daleks now."

The Doctor shoved his hands in his pocket and stepped away from the door. He approached a chalkboard and started to write her name in Gallifreyan calligraphy. Something shone behind him. He looked up to the top of the TARDIS where the Gallifreyan symbols swirled above his head. One of them was shining brightly. It was the first letter of River's name. "Oi! I know how to write. I don't need your help. My handwriting is quite excellent thank you!" the Doctor said to his TARDIS.

Still, the symbol burned brightly above him. "Maybe I am a little rusty, but don't gloat."

The Doctor returned to writing her name on the chalkboard. Gallifreyan calligraphy is beautiful but takes a long time to write- especially if you want to fill a whole chalkboard with it. He was just finishing and he stepped back to admire his work when he heard someone clear their throat. He swung around to see Brooke standing looking at him. She was dressed in an outfit similar to his ninth incarnation... only more feminine. She had on a leather jacket, plain dark green t- shirt, and jeans that she wore with black converses. "You look like someone I know," the Doctor said standing in front of the chalkboard to cover it up.

He wanted the calligraphy on it to be a surprise. "I know. I liked this look you know. It's the kind of look you want when you don't want to be recognized and just blend in with the crowd. It's the kind of look you choose when you want to forget who you are and be another face in the sea of people," said Brooke approaching the Doctor.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Breakfast then?" asked the Doctor.

Brooke scrunched up her eyebrows. "Doctor, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing. It's a surprise. Now, there's this place on Uuyagliuamus that serves the most delicious pancakes," remarked the Doctor moving towards the console, "And don't look at that chalkboard!"

Brooke chuckled to herself. He was the same man. He may do some things differently, but he still did them. But that was the issue. He was the same man. Everything in Brooke wanted to wrap her arms around the Doctor's neck and let the tears flow, but she could not do that. Too much at stake. The TARDIS materialized.

* * *

Everything in Brooke wanted to believe that she has had better days. That that breakfast that she had was not one of the best she had in years. That she did not enjoy herself. But she could not bring herself to admit to any of it. By the end of the breakfast, she was convinced that she would stay another week... maybe two. No, two was too long... perhaps. She laughed in a way she had not laughed in years, and she had never felt more alive. And to think it was only breakfast. "So, Brooke, had a good time?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, I did. Thank you, Doctor. I... I guess I could stay for one week," Brooke replied.

The Doctor smiled. "Well, if you're going to stay awhile longer, then I suppose that we can talk a little bit more," said the Doctor over his shoulder.

Brooke had already settled into his big chair that he kept in the control room now. "Yes, I suppose," she said thumbing through the pages of a book she plucked from one of the shelves.

"Why are you reading a book if you can just look in the time vortex and watch whatever it is happen?" asked the Doctor.

"Because I don't find peeking ahead... or behind through time to be satisfying all the time. Besides, foreknowledge. Dangerous thing, foreknowledge."

Definitely an archaeologist. "Alright then," the Doctor said with a wave of his hand, "I've got the perfect place to sit and talk."

He started walking off down one corridor, and Brooke got up to follow after him. "So where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see soon enough," replied the Doctor.

 _I hope she forgives me._ Brooke shrugged and followed him. She had not been in this version of the TARDIS before so this was all new... well, until her and the Doctor came to a certain door. The Doctor opened it and stepped inside. Brooke lingered by the doorway. "Come in. I've fixed the heating," called the Doctor.

"Why here? Why not someplace like the laboratory," suggested Brooke.

"Because this is the library. The TARDIS library. It's the best place in the universe to sit down and discuss history, science, and other things. Come on. We only have a week," the Doctor said.

"Oh... I was thinking about staying a month."

"Is something wrong with me?" asked the Doctor raising his eyebrows.

"No, of course not. It's just..." Brooke broke off.

"Just what? Something frightening you?"

Brooke could feel her legs going weak. She felt like she had been holding her breath for a long amount of time when in truth she was probably beginning to hyperventilate. "No, nothing. I just feel really sick all of a sudden. Uuyagliuamusian food probably did not set well with me," she said feeling her voice falter.

"Well then, come here. I'll scan you with my screwdriver."

"No!" Brooke said a bit too loud.

"Are you scared of coming in the library, Brooke?"

By this time, Brooke was leaning against the doorframe sweating... or crying. Did it really matter? She felt like she could fall any minute. All she could think was, _he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows..._ "I'm... I... can't go back..." Brooke gasped out.

"Come in the library," the Doctor said rushing towards her to hold her close to him.

"I can't go back," Brooke sobbed against his shoulder.

"River, come in the library with me. I'll go with you, please. You and I. I can't run forever, and neither can you. Are you ready?"

River shook her head no. "Please. You said if I ever loved you to say goodbye like I was going to come back. Well, this is me, going back for you. This is me breaking all my rules to have to revisit a memory I felt I had to move on from. I never lied to you, River. I told your mother that I always come back, and rule 1, the Doctor lies. Never to you though, River. I've never been able to lie to you. So if I said I'm coming back; I'm coming back, River."

"Then, yes," River whispered very softly.

"Yes?"

"You only did what you always did. You came when I called. It's time I came when you called too."

"Then together?" asked the Doctor as River released her hold around his neck.

The held each other's hands. River looked at him, "What was it that you used to say back then? A-llonsy."

"Yeah, well... geronimo."


	11. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, the Doctor convinces Brooke to admit she is River. In this chapter, the Doctor finds out about how River survived the Library and why she did what she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, but this chapter doesn't have a happy ending.

"Open," the Doctor said lifting his hands from River's eyes.

Her eyes landed on a huge chalkboard filled with swirling Gallifreyan calligraphy. She smiled while she looked at it. "It says my name," she said walking closer to the chalkboard.

The Doctor stepped forward and rested his hand on her waist. "Made it for you," he said smiling.

"The TARDIS did too."

"No... yes. Told you I couldn't lie to you."

River laughed and leaned into his chest. "Alright then, tell me how you got out of the Library because I didn't for a second believe that rubbish story about being an original Timelord," said the Doctor pulling River down to sit next to him on the floor of the TARDIS.

"Not a rubbish story, Sweetie, it's true," she said looking up into his eyes.

"Right. I knew that the entire time," said the Doctor clearing his throat.

River laughed. "I have always in a way been a full Timelord because of being exposed to the Time Vortex extensively during conception, but that part of my brain and biology hadn't functioned. When I was, well, _electrocuted_ in the Library, it brought that part of me to life. Kind of like Donna."

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "So, I sort of began regenerating and dying at the same time."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at River. "If you were regenerating, then how did I see you as a data- ghost?" he asked.

"Sweetie, my body was burnt to crisps. The regeneration process may take quite a long time. So yes, I was essentially in the Library for three- hundred years. The issue is, I don't remember any of it. I mean data- ghost me is still trapped in there, but real me is out here with no recollection," River said a little too quietly while closing her eyes.

"River, I know something's wrong. Tell me," the Doctor said turning to face her better.

"My data- ghost was still in the Library so I hacked the system and rewrote her so that she has no recollection of the time she spent with you. She'll remember you as a story from now on. I also left a message for the others so they won't tell her what really happened. While I was there, I ran into your Eleventh. I wiped his memory so you don't remember any of that meeting. I'm walking out of the Library when the TARDIS materializes around me while I'm half- blacking out. You weren't on board."

"You didn't just rewrite her. You rewrote yourself," the Doctor said quietly.

"Which is worse? Being trapped in a living death, or watching the man you would give your life for forget... in more ways than one."

The Doctor felt the self- hate rise in him. "I never forgot you River."

"You told me you were falling for Clara."

"River, I thought you were dead!"

"We still went out while you were traveling with Clara. You know, when you went all Victorian London. Remember when we were captured by the rain gods? You totally reinvented yourself... you changed your look, the TARDIS... I bet Clara didn't even know about me. You were falling for her from then. I could tell by the way you talked about her... your eyes sparkled the way they used to when you looked at me. You used to look at me like that. Then you started distancing yourself. You were falling in love with another woman right before my eyes, and I guess now I know two things: For you, I was already in the Library so I was already dead. The second thing is: the Library is where I was supposed to stay wasn't it? Wasn't it?"

The Doctor wanted to be angry. He really did, but he could not. She was right. "River, I'm sorry. I thought you were dead."

"That's not the point, Doctor. I've looked through your timestream from the day I died up to the day I returned. I've seen Clara. She's nothing like me. I wouldn't care if you fell in love with another woman who was _like me,_ but she wasn't.  She's the opposite of me. She was born to save you. I was born to kill you. She doesn't have a psychopathic bone in her body. I shot the TARDIS console just to make sure I could shoot you when it pleased me. She was so young. I am so old. You are her dream. You are my nightmare. But, most of all, she fell in love with a façade. I fell in love with you... Did you ever love me, or did you tell yourself that to feel better?"

The Doctor was speechless. It was true. "But I came to my senses, River. I told her I wasn't her boyfriend," he finally said.

"She never thought you were. You thought you were."

Again, the Doctor fell silent. After about six minutes, he spoke again. "But I married you, River," he said weakly and quietly.

River looked up at him, "To save a dying timeline. You told me the same day that my attempts to save you embarrassed you. Did you know how much that hurt? Here I am on the day that I'm supposed to fulfill my life's purpose and kill you trying to save you, and you become genuinely angry with me. I thought that was the day, you know. I thought that was the day you saw how much I loved you and would realize how much you love me. I was wrong. When you held me and kissed me at Darillium, you looked at me with love in your eyes. For the entire day I was with you, you looked at me like that. That's how I knew something terrible was coming..."

"No..." the Doctor choked out.

"Is that what it took for you to look at me in that way again? To die for you."

"No..." the Doctor tried again.

"Tell me you love me, Doctor."

The Doctor hesitated. Tears stung River's eyes. "So that's it then? You can't even say it. The sad part is I still..." River could not finish her sentence.

She flew off down one corridor. The Doctor sat on the floor stunned for a few seconds before getting up and starting off in the direction she had run. _You watch us run._ "River!"

 

 

 

 


	12. Twelve Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River and the Doctor have a falling out. In this chapter, the Doctor tries to win River back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading. You guys are awesome!

**The First Day:** The Doctor knew exactly where River would be. She could never really hate so if she sat in her room surrounded by her Gallifreyan writing and TARDIS blue walls, she would forgive him before she even had time to vent. She was not in the room they used to share. That room had been left untouched for nearly 800 years. The door had been shut to never be opened again. It would be too painful for both of them. She would not be in Amy and Rory's old room. He would be able to hear the sobbing. So, the Doctor decided on the one room he was sure she was in. He rested his head against the TARDIS library door. She died in a library. She was kidnapped in a library. Libraries and River... never anything good. She was definitely in there. He turned his back to the door and leaned against it after a while. He slid down the door until he was sitting on the other side. "You know..." he began, "When I started running, I thought I could always just come back to Gallifrey and stay for a while then set off again. I always thought I'd have something to anchor on to, something to keep me sane. I've told you a lot about my wife on Gallifrey. I told you how she died... in the war... because she left... me," the Doctor struggled to say the words.

"She moved to another part of Gallifrey... it was bombed by the Daleks two days later. My children... had died fighting. I had nothing. So I ran some more even though I didn't have an anchor. But I did have an anchor. My companions were always there for me, but sometimes I miss the old times. Sometimes I miss traveling with my granddaughter, and coming home to Gallifrey every so often. I miss it. I miss it the same way that you miss being in Stormcage and waiting every night to be whisked away by your husband on some fantastical journey. I know how it hurts, River. I know how much it is to have... love... gone. Oh, River, I was falling out of love with you before we even started because I knew what would happen, and... I just missed being young and trying to find out who you were. I miss you being a mystery to me. I missed thinking that I had so much time left with you. I didn't use that time as wisely though. You know, I'm pretty rubbish at making speeches in this regeneration. I don't quite know exactly what I want to say, but I guess I can say this. I love you."

 **The Second Day** : The Doctor sat with his back leaning against the door. "Regeneration is a very interesting process isn't it? I was young. I was really young. Now I look so old. I am old. You're old too if you don't mind me saying. You look so young in this regeneration though. Much younger than your last. I'm kind of curious why. I know you are too. Maybe if you leave the library, we could find out. There's a reason for how you look. I know there is with you. You don't like to choose at random. Remember this, 'Shut up, Dad, I'm focusing on a dress size.'? What were thinking when you were regenerating this time? 'Please let me keep the hair?' I have to say, when I met you as Mels, all grown and stealing cars, I was quite attracted to you. I mean you were pointing a gun at me, and calling me hot, and saying you were going to marry me. You're still not that much different. When I first regenerated, I was a little scared. And to think, I was a grown man. You were only a child. River, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I love you."

 **The Third Day:** "So, Earth then. Earth with it's funny little people who celebrated making it to the moon. They should've called me first. I could have told them not to waste there time there. The moon was so boring in the 20th century. I was more concerned with the space suits used to go to the moon- especially a certain little girl who was trapped in one. It took her many years to get out. You know, both times I met that spacesuit, there was a scared little girl trapped inside. Let's be honest, River. I'm a lonely boy, and you're a scared girl somewhere on the inside. Somewhere, at some point, we were those people. They're still a part of us. We've just buried them. But they're there, and every once in awhile they show themselves. You're still Melody Pond somewhere. Melody... Professor Melody Pond. Your mother was right. You have a superhero's name, and you are one. Yet, ironically you became a professor. Should've stuck with Melody Williams. Professor Williams... oh no, never mind, that's horrid. Professor Song will do for me- the name of the woman I fell in love with. I love you."

 **The Fourth Day:** "I'd give anything to hear you laugh again. I've kinda missed it you know. I miss laughter and smiles. I remember at first I was sort of put off by how familiar you were with me, but now I wish you would be that way again. Sometimes, I wish I could sort of be like a silly old granddad that tells his grandchildren stories of time and space. That probably won't happen I know, but I would love to hear the laughter. I suppose the next thing would be to hear you laugh again.

 **The Fifth Day:** "Why do you look so much younger? I though you liked the mature look. Of course you would keep the hair..." The Doctor was cut off by a snort from behind the door. "River, is that you? River. I love you."

 **The Sixth Day:** I know sometimes you think I'm arrogant. I am. I think I'm right most of the time, and I need others to tell me I'm wrong when I am. I do know I'm wrong about what I did to you though. Nobody had to tell me. I love you."

For the next six days, this pattern persisted. The Doctor poured his soul out to River. The twelfth day was brutal. The Doctor lost it. He could not stand knowing that River was so close but so far away. On the twelfth day, the Doctor slammed his fists against the door of the TARDIS library. "River! River, open the door please. You infuriating woman always making me do what I don't want to! The reason why I liked Clara was because she helped me forget. I fell into depression after your parents and you had gone. I wanted to distract myself so I reinvented everything. It's not because I didn't love you. I just wanted to forget Don't you ever feel like you just want to forget?"

The Doctor slumped against the door. A hand rested on his shoulder. A voice spoke behind him, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment please. Pretty please? :'(


	13. Travel With Me Then

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River finally leaves the library for the last time. In this chapter, River and the Doctor are together again across all of time and space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It may seem fluffy, but there's still plot.

"I'm sorry," River and the Doctor began together.

They both started laughing. The Doctor approached River and rested his hands on her hips. "So not so much of a hugging person are you?" asked River raising an eyebrow.

The Doctor's thumbs started to rub up and down her sides. "I will be for you, dear," he responded leaning in to kiss her.

The Doctor pulled away after awhile and looked her in the eyes. "Never scare me like that again," he said with his hands still on River's hips.

"I'm sorry. I... I should have... You never said goodbye until I told you to. I didn't know..."

"I didn't mean that. I meant letting me think you died in a Library. In a Library! How stupid can I be? River Song who treats Daleks like playthings taken down by a Library. My bespoke psychopath? Never."

River tossed her head back and laughed turning away from him to head to the console room. The Doctor followed behind and found her at the console running a hand over the controls. He silently came up behind her and rested a hand on her lower back and rested another on top of the hand she had put on one of the levers. River leaned her head back to kiss him. "Not a hugging person but definitely a touchy person," River teased.

"A man hasn't seen his wife for 700 years. Excuse me if I get a little touchy with her," the Doctor said pressing himself closer to River.

His began kissing her neck. "If I pull this lever we'll be sent off in God knows where," stated River.

"Mhmm," the Doctor agreed into her neck.

"Shall we?"

The Doctor's grip on River's hand tightened, and they both pulled the lever together.

 _Two hours later:_ "I told you you had a thing for Daleks," said River triumphantly as she entered the TARDIS.

"In my defense, I didn't know they were there. I was planning on a date with my wife," retorted the Doctor.

"Sweetie, that was a date. What date between you and me would be complete without running for our lives?" asked River teasingly.

"Darillium," mumbled the Doctor.

River fell silent. After a while she broke the silence, "I can see why you liked her."

"Clara?"

"Yeah. She was good for you. Perfect even... and those are your words," responded River.

"Yeah... I miss her."

River laid a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "Remember, I'm always here for you," she said.

The Doctor turned around to face her with a smile, but it slowly faded. Her eyes... they were different. Not the color or anything they were just different. After their dates, there was the unmistakable look of pure joy on her face, yet here she was smiling, grinning, eyes shining, and still something was missing. "Are you alright?" asked the Doctor, "Do you need a scan? It will only take a minute."

"No, Doctor, what are you talking about?"

"There's something different. In your eyes there's something missing. I mean, there's all of time and space in there, but still something's gone wrong. I know. I can feel it... which is weird because you and I haven't shared a telepathic link in 700 years..."

River backed away from him a little bit. "Do you still keep fish fingers and custard around?"

"Yeah, just in case the craving ever comes back. You know, once I had the urge to wear a long, flowing, colorful scarf. That just proves it. You can take the Doctor out Gallifrey, but you can't take Gallifrey out of the Doctor. Timelords were probably the most socially awkward people in the universe. You're not planning on eating that horrid concoction are you? River? River?"

* * *

The next few days were running, laughter, dates, and anything else that River and the Doctor enjoyed together. All the while, the Doctor kept studying her- seeing how she reacted to things, how she moved, little things that she said. He came to one conclusion. River was acting the same as she did 700 years ago. That could only mean one thing. She was hiding something. The Doctor came up with the most logical excuse he could muster. Lately, she had been eating fish fingers and custard for breakfast, and he had often seen her holding a silk bowtie. This obviously meant that she missed him. The other him. The floppy hair, gangly limb, flapping and flailing hands him. The one she married.; The one she fell in love with. He was not him anymore. "And look at her. She looks so much younger. I look so old. What if I'm too different?" the Doctor thought to himself.

There was only one way to help River then. If she wanted Number Eleven, he was going to prove to her that he is just as much the man as Bowtie was.


	14. Calderon Beta and Darillium 2.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River and the Doctor make up and go on some dates. In this chapter, the Doctor decides to take River on a blast to the past.

"River Song, I've got a surprise for you."

"A surprise? Try me."

"You just hurry up and get dressed. Or you can wear what you're wearing now. Doesn't matter."

"Sweetie, I'm wearing a tank top and sweats."

"I know."

River smiled before running back to her room. "Calderon Beta, Calderon Beta. Ha, I have the coordinates on speed dial," mumbled the Doctor pulling a lever.

"Blanket, picnic basket, food, chalk... can't be too careful. No Daleks, no Cybermen, it was a perfect date, and it will be again. Well, I suppose perfect would be River ending up with earrings made of Dalekanium, but sorry, dear, not this time."

River came back into the console room wearing a white button- down tucked into a black skirt. "Like it? It's plain, I know."

"You look fine. It's not like we're going to a beauty pageant," the Doctor caught himself, "But if we were, you'd get first place."

River approached him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I like the magician look on you."

"River, this is not "magician"; this is minimalism," returned the Doctor.

"To be fair, you do travel in a magic box."

"I'd prefer my magic box than your little red wagon."

"Are you referring to my vortex manipulator?"

"No, your vortex manipulator was a motorcycle. I'm referring to you, Miss I-can-travel-through-all-of-time-and-space-without-using-a-vehicle. What are you? Some sort of superhero?"

"As the name Melody Pond implies."

"Do you want a cape and tights?"

"Did you just call me a little red wagon?"

"Maybe I did. Does it matter?"

River laughed and grasped his hand. The Doctor slung his arm around her still holding her hand, and they walked out the TARDIS together. As soon as River saw what was in front of her she gasped. The Doctor had a smug look on his face, "Surprised you didn't I, dear?"

River reached up to kiss him. The Doctor smiled as she pulled away. "Calderon Beta. Remember, River? We have to stay in this spot though. Can't risk younger me seeing us."

River nodded dreamily as she sat down on the blanket the Doctor had spread out. "I brought fish fingers and custard," the Doctor declared after settling beside her.

They both lied down on the blanket together. River leaned her head on the Doctor's chest. His double heartbeat mixed with emotion of being there and starlight was gently lulling her to sleep. She was just about sleeping when the Doctor took a bite of fish fingers and custard and promptly spit it out. "Okay, what is that? _That_ is not what I remember."

River giggled and whispered, "I love you," before finally falling asleep on his chest.

She awoke in her bed... _their_ bed to the Doctor's face peering over her. "Well rested then?" he asked.

River nodded and mumbled a "yes" before stretching. "Good 'cause I have plans," the Doctor said excitedly rolling over to the other side of the bed.

"What plans, Sweetheart?" asked River moving over to nestle herself against him and lay a hand on his chest.

The Doctor put an arm around her, "Special plans, Dearest."

"Can they be done from the comfort of our bedroom?"

"Nope. Sorry," the Doctor springing up from the bed.

River groaned, and the Doctor stretched out a hand to her. Half- scowling at him for making her leave the bed, she took it, and he pulled her to the console room. "Okay, now close your eyes and just feel. Hear it, River," the Doctor said slowly opening the TARDIS doors.

He then scuffled back to put his hands on River's shoulders to lead her out the TARDIS. "Sweetie... oh... you didn't have to..." tears stung River's eyes as she tried to say what she was feeling.

"So you know what this is then?"

River nodded, "Yeah. Darillium."

"Open, River."

She gasped. They were actually inside the one of the towers, and the singing filled the air around them. "Beautiful isn't it?" asked the Doctor.

"Oh... Sweetie," groaned River before pulling the Doctor into the most passionate kiss she could muster.

They danced inside the tower as the music played clinging to each other content with the thought that neither of them was soon going to meet a horrible demise. "It's the same night," the Doctor said low in River's ear.

"I know. I can feel it," whispered River.

"Right, I forgot. You've grown a Timehead."

River smacked the Doctor on the shoulder playfully. "No, you Nostalgic Idiot. I mean that there was something about this night that just felt... I don't know how to describe it."

"Sometimes it's better that way. Some things can't be put into words. Like 'I love you'. What does that mean? 'I love you.' It's just three words. There's so much more meaning behind that that can't be expressed. Words are weird like that. I love you, River, with all the love that can't be expressed in words."

"Doctor, I..."

"Yes, River?"

"I... I love you always and completely."

"Always and completely."


	15. The Return of the Eleventh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, the Doctor and River revisited Calderon Beta and Darillium. In this chapter, the Doctor tries to curb whatever sadness he thinks River is hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised Eleventh Doctor/River Song.

She had hesitated. She never hesitated to tell him she loved him. She was not going to say, "I love you."

There was something else. Maybe she missed other him more than he thought. How could he be so stupid? She needed to  _see_ him.Maybe that would cure it. He had an idea... a stupid idea but an idea nonetheless.

He opened the door to their room and stood in the doorway. River was curled up in the sheets sleeping. She has been doing a lot of that lately. He approached and laid a hand on her back. "Wake up, Dearest, I have something I want to show you."

River stirred and opened her eyes. "Hello, Sweetie," she said with a smile.

The Doctor smiled back. "Come on, get dressed. You'll like this one," the Doctor urged.

River strutted out into the console room wearing her normal leather jacket and dark green t- shirt. Her mouth went dry. It was the Doctor, but it was... "Hello, Dear."

He was there... all gangly limbs, floppy hair, bowtie, and wearing Amy's glasses. She could see the lines forming on his face. That means he was past Darillium... but not that far off. He wasn't wearing a jacket, his shirt sleeves were all rolled up, and his bowtie looked as if it had been hastily put on. "River, stop gaping. That's no way to greet your husband," said the Doctor... the Twelfth Doctor... the Scottish one.

River walked swiftly to Twelve and harshly whispered in his ear, "You stupid idiot. What are you doing bringing him here? You're crossing your own timestream. Do you know the paradoxes this could cause? You're changing the future. If this happened in your timeline, you would remember this and therefore know who I am."

"Are you feeling dizzy?" the Doctor responded.

"What?"

"Mental link to all of space and time... you're right; the paradoxes would be horrendous, and you would be able to feel that. As you see, you are perfectly fine evidenced by the amount of saliva in my ear. There are no paradoxes. He agreed to a brainwipe via memory worm when your date with him is over, and I do remember waking up in the TARDIS to a recording of my voice saying 'I am the Doctor, a Timelord from Gallifrey, and I agree to this memorywipe of my own free will. Don't try to find out why you did this. Just know that it was wonderful.' Remember that, Sonny?" called the Doctor to his younger self.

"I'll try not to forget it," the younger Doctor said, "Ready for our date, River?" asked the Doctor suddenly turning to her.

"Um... right, yeah," she said walking away from the older Doctor but turning to look at him.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Go snog me or something. Tell me what happened when you get back. I'd like to remember," the Doctor told River.

When neither Eleven nor River moved, the older Doctor shooed them out the TARDIS door saying, "Off you two kids pop. Have a great time. I'll just be here counting my chalk or burning some fezzes."

The younger Doctor spun around mouth open in protest, but the older Doctor just grinned and pushed him out the door. "Do I really get like that?" asked the Doctor to River.

"Yes, I suppose you do," said River distractedly.

The Doctor looked at River and frowned, but he soon clapped his hands together causing River to jump and said, "Gardens of Gasminia, lovely place. No running, no jumping, no dodging stray bullets from a cyborg cowboy's gun; I know it might sound a bit boring, but you'll always make it interesting won't you Doctor Song? My bad, bad girl."

River smiled. "I owe you this, you know," she said clasping her hand around his neck.

"Owe me for what?" the Doctor asked.

"For letting you think I was dead."

The Doctor chuckled. "Remind me that you owe me one when you go back."

River smiled at him, but the constant thought niggling at the back of her mind was  _"Why did he feel the need to bring me back to him?_

Almost as if the Doctor read her mind, the Doctor mused, "Why did he think you needed to see me? Well, no worries. On to Gasminia! Come along, Song."

River detached from the Doctor's neck, and the Doctor grabbed her hand leading her into his TARDIS. "Oh... um... I've changed the desktop," he mumbled when River stepped inside, "I've always changed it back when you came on board so, um, yeah. It looks about the same as Scottie's though."

River nodded. He'd changed everything after she was gone. _Because he didn't want to remember. It had hurt too much. Because I didn't want to remember. It had hurt too much._ "Gasmina then," the Doctor said punching in buttons and flipping only a few levers.

"You change the console later on. A lot more levers. You know, you shouldn't worry so much about how old you look. You've got a few gray hairs right now. Clara won't mind them. She'll still stay with you. You won't remember me telling you this, but it's okay, Doctor, to show who you are to people. Face it; you're an old man..."

"And you're an old woman," the Doctor said cutting River off.

River folded her arms. "Wait, sorry, didn't mean it like that," the Doctor said flailing and gesturing towards River.

The TARDIS landed at Gasminia, and the Doctor continued what he was going to say when they both got out of the TARDIS and were holding hands walking through a beautiful garden. "I meant that you're an old woman so why..."

The Doctor paused to pull River down to the ground next to him under a tree. River rested her head on his shoulder. "Why do you look so young? I'd say about 21- 78."

River looked up at the Doctor. "Human years, it's hard to keep track of them."

"Regeneration. It's a lottery," responded River.

"Oi!" exclaimed the Doctor feigning to look offended.

"Oh, shut up, you know I love your stupid face," laughed River playfully hitting him.

"I should," the Doctor said looking down at River.

"What do you mean, my love?"

"Why does he think you need to see me?" asked the Doctor, "Does he think he's not good enough, or maybe you don't like him?"

"I'm sorry. I never wanted you to feel that way. I didn't think I did anything to make you feel that I..."

"What? No, the problem is me. I'm so stupid sometimes. I don't think things through. When you get back to Scottie, make sure he knows how much you love him... even if he's not as dashing and handsome as I am," added the Doctor preening a bit.

"He is just as dashing and handsome as you are," returned River.

"And don't you forget it," said the Doctor smiling down at her.

* * *

 

 "So, how did your date with Bowtie go?" asked the Doctor appearing from behind the console as River stepped inside the TARDIS.

River strode over to him and grabbed him by his jacket lapels pinning him to the wall. "River, whatever I said or have done, I don't remember so really I think we should think this through. Let's rationalize this, please. I was a lot younger then and a tad bit..."

River cut him off with her lips on his. The Doctor was shocked, but his hands found her hips. Just as he was starting to get into it, River pulled away a bit breathless. "And don't you forget it," she said.

She turned and walked away heading to their room leaving a very stunned Doctor behind. "How could I have forgotten that?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	16. Greystark Hall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River goes on a date with Eleven. In this chapter, there is yet another secret River has yet to tell the Doctor.

_His arms were around my waist, and I leaned my head on his chest. "Doctor..." I began as I looked up at him._

_"Yes, River,"  he said looking down._

_I looked into his eyes... they were young... too young... so much younger than my old Scotsman that was waiting for me. "I love you,"  I said instead._

_Then, without a flicker of doubt he replied, "I love you too, River."_

* * *

"You're sad," said the Doctor suddenly.

"What? No, I'm not," answered River scribbling something down in the old TARDIS diary that had contained so many spoilers years ago... centuries ago.

"Well something's amiss. I can sense. Telepathic link. Which again I find odd because I haven't shared a telepathic link with you..."

"Doctor, can you not?" River said cutting him off.

"Can I not do what?"

"Can you not do that thing where you try to find out if something's wrong and then try to scan me with your sonic screwdriver."

The Doctor slinked behind the console. He began pulling some levers and punching in a few buttons. "What are you doing?" asked River looking up from her diary.

"Nothing, dear," the Doctor said.

"Show me," River demanded running over to where the Doctor was.

"No. River... stop. Stop trying to grab the scanner! It's my TARDIS! If I don't want to show you something, I have a right."

River stepped back from the Doctor with her arms folded arching an eyebrow. "I have a right, dear? Darling? Love?" the Doctor tried.

Just then, the TARDIS landed. River ran to the doors and opened them. "No, River, wait. I wanted it to be a surprise. Don't hate me. I don't like when you do that," the Doctor said stumbling after River.

River did not hear him. She was too busy staring at the scene in front of her. There was a little playground and off the side was a basketball court. On the left side of the playground, there was an open field. On top of it all, there were children. Many, many children. They were all laughing, playing, swinging, and having a grand old time. River almost wanted to cry. She did not know why. She just felt really happy all of a sudden. "Doctor, why did you bring me here?" she asked turning around to face him.

Before the Doctor could answer, River's eyes landed on a familiar face. "Oh... how... where is this?" she said eyes blazing the way they did now when she was either angry or excited about something.

"Well, dear, I was going to explain that..."

"Doctor, how nice to see you again. Is this... is this Doctor Song now?" a man asked sticking a hand out towards River.

"Canton..." River stammered out while slowly shaking his hand.

"Canton Everett Delaware III in the flesh," Canton replied grasping River's hand.

"Taking good care of the children I see," said the Doctor stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah. It's been a rough four months, but I think I've got this whole orphanage thing under control."

"Orphanage?" River asked suddenly whirling around to face the Doctor.

"Look at the gate behind you," the Doctor whispered in her ear.

River did. Tears came to her eyes as she read the words _Greystark Hall._ "Doctor... how did you do this? When?" she asked turning around to face him.

"You've been sleeping a lot. May have sneaked out," the Doctor responded with a grin.

River playfully hit his shoulder. "I've been thinking, River. I've been thinking about your younger face. I've been thinking about how you never got to have a proper childhood. Everyone as a child has been afraid of the imaginary monsters in their closet, but yours were real. You... Melody Pond... having to grow up too soon and too quickly. You did it before you know. You regenerated into a child. A second chance at childhood, but you grew up with your parents. A little twisted. Now you've done it again... I mean, not a child, but you look much younger than before. It's a second chance, River," the Doctor explained.

River threw her arms around his neck. He knew. He finally understood. He was _her_ Doctor. "So you brought me back to the place of my childhood and made it a happy- smiley place?" asked River smiling.

"Yes, River, that's what I did. I made your nightmare happy and smiley. Giving the old place a second chance," replied the Doctor.

"So shall I take you on a tour?" asked Canton to the Time- Couple.

"Please," answered River.

* * *

The whole day was spent playing with the children and listening to the Doctor tell the children space- stories. Of course this was popular with the children as the moon- landing had happened only three years ago. They begged him to keep telling them story after story. Even the older kids listened. When evening approached, and the children had to start getting ready for dinner, the Doctor and River stood side-by-side admiring the place. "It's wonderful, you know," commented the Doctor.

"Yeah. You seemed to be having a good time. The children loved you," River leaning her head against his arm.

"The children were great... I mean good. They're... okay," the Doctor tried to say in between River's stifled laughter, "What's so funny about me liking children?" the Doctor asked demanding to know.

"Nothing it's just... you know, all this talk of second chances... I suppose you deserve one too," River said suddenly growing serious.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked looking down at her.

"Doctor..."

"Yes, River."

"I'm pregnant."

 

 


	17. Pregnant?!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River tells the Doctor that she's pregnant. In this chapter, the Doctor tries to come to terms with the idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this was planned from the beginning. The story still has plot. It won't just be Time- baby Fluff. Hold on to your feels. It's gonna be a rough ride. (Sorry for the longish wait).

The Doctor stared at River with his mouth agape. River tried a weak smile. "So how'd you like it?" asked a voice suddenly coming from behind them.

River and the Doctor both jumped at the sound of Canton's voice. "It was marvelous, but River and I have to go don't we River?" the Doctor said quickly while tightly grasping River's hand.

"Yeah, we have stuff to talk about," agreed River.

The Doctor glared at her. "If you really have to..." began Canton.

The Doctor cut him off. "We really have to," he said with his eyes still transfixed on River.

"Well I guess this is goodbye then. Keep up the good work," Canton said offering a hand to both of them.

"You too," curtly responded the Doctor as he pretty much dragged River in the direction of the TARDIS.

As soon as he was inside he slammed the doors shut. "What do you mean pregnant?" he practically screeched.

"I mean there is  life growing inside me, love," calmly responded River.

"But that... that... that means I've gotta program the TARDIS for a nursery and a... a... changing table. And diapers, River! I don't have diapers. Soap... baby soap. Rubber duckies and the like. I'm not prepared for this," the Doctor whined.

"Sweetie, it's okay. You've had children before," said River placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But, River, it's huge. Besides, I'm 1900 years out of practice and..." the Doctor suddenly stopped.

"What? What is it?" asked River.

"There's life inside you," the Doctor said slowly as if he was trying to come to terms with the idea.

"Yes, there is," River responded with a slow smile creeping across her face.

"That's why you keep eating fish fingers and custard! You're having cravings!" the Doctor exclaimed with a smile of his own.

"Yes, I am," River said feeling the sudden urge to laugh as the Doctor grabbed her hands. 

"And the telepathic link! The telepathic link wasn't between me and you per se; it was between me and the baby! Timelord parents can telepathically communicate with their children. I could hear you through my telepathic link with the baby!" the Doctor exclaimed now with a full- on smile.

"Yes, you're right," River agreed nodding and laughing with the Doctor.

"And the sleeping. Ohhhh... River, I'm so thick. I'm Dr. Thick Thickety Thickface from Thicktown Thickania... and so is my dad. Timelord pregnancies take a heck of a lot of energy out of you. So thick, Doctor," the Doctor said letting go of River's wrist and slapping his forehead with his hand.

"Yes, you are."

"Oi! Watch it! I just can't believe it. There's gonna be two Timelords plus one on the TARDIS," the Doctor mused as he sighed contentedly leaning on the console.

 River was silent. "Two Timelords plus one, right?" repeated the Doctor.

"Actually, Sweetie..."

"River, no..."

"I meant to say something, but you were getting so worked up about it I..."

"Twins, River... wait, they are twins? I 'm not expecting triplets or anything," the Doctor said warily.

"No, you're right. Twins," River rubbed her hand over her stomach.

"This is wonderful, River... Why do you look so sad?" the Doctor asked confused.

"They'll have the genes of your Elevenths and all other previous incarnations to him," answered River gravely.

"What? Worried about the chin. Hey, you never know. They could come out looking rather pretty..."

"You don't get it. I became pregnant with your Eleventh's children. That means I was pregnant at the Library. I know they're still alive because I can hear them telepathically, but... do you think... do you think they've regenerated?" asked River her voice almost a whisper.

The Doctor looked down. His children have already used one of their lives... at least one. Who knows how many times they may have regenerated? "Yes, undoubtedly. At least once. River, don't cry. It's not your fault... tell me you didn't know you were pregnant," the Doctor suddenly said sternly.

"I didn't!" River exclaimed, "I didn't until after I opened the locket, and I started feeling a bit queasy. I did a pregnancy scan on myself after we were back on the TARDIS, and it came back positive. Since you and I hadn't... um, well, you know then, I assumed they were your previous incarnation's. If I only knew..." began River, but the Doctor cut her off.

"Don't start with that. You didn't know. And though there are going to be four Timelords aboard this TARDIS, it doesn't mean we can go all mucking about and changing time. It happened. It's okay. They'll be safe from now until they die I swear," said the Doctor his Scottish accent growing thicker every second.

River wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. They were _her_ children. The children of a _psychopath._ The fool who tried to hurt her children would be a dead man. River smiled at the thought. "That's the spirit," the Doctor said in response to River's grin.

The Doctor continued, "First thing's first: Timelord pregnancies take a lot of energy so you need rest. Second thing: Any craving whatsoever you have let me know. I want you to have the best pregnancy of your lives. Thirdly: I love you. Fourthly: Old Girl! Build me a nursery! And fifthly: We need to start thinking about names."

"Already taken care of, my love," answered River.

"What do you mean..." the Doctor began before it sank in.

The list of names she had on her wall when she was Brooklyn. Even though she did not know she was pregnant, the TARDIS did. It influenced her subconscious and tried to giver her hints. Clever Old Girl. "Well then, are you up for the challenge, Professor River Song?" asked the Doctor shoving his hands in his pockets.

"It's called marriage, honey."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving it?


	18. After Five Years (A Tribute to the Ponds)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, the Doctor comes to terms with River's big news. This chapter is set five years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the fic is done, I might do a series on the five years in between. I don't know yet. You tell me. It would be too much to put it in the fic.

Robert Danny Song and his sister Audrey Clara Song stood in front of their dad with their hands clasped behind their backs as he began his interrogation. "There is a crocodile in the swimming pool," he said.

The Time-Tots shifted uncomfortably. "Who put it there?" he asked whirling on them suddenly.

"Mummy!" exclaimed Robert fighting back laughter.

"Oh, now your Mummy is crazy but not that crazy... yet," Robert's father said causing the two children to laugh.

"Are you making jokes at my expense again?" asked a voice from behind him.

"River, I didn't know you were standing there."

"Well, Doctor, start paying attention. You can start by making sure your son really is asleep before you turn in for the night," responded River.

"Robert, did you do this?" asked the Doctor to his son.

Robert nodded grinning a wicked grin. He never really meant to be bad. He just liked fun, and sometimes he legitimately thought he was doing the right thing. The Doctor glared at his son, but he could not stay angry for long. He was almost a mini replica of his tenth incarnation. He smiled the same sort of devious yet brilliant smile, his hair went flying in all directions, and his eyes were big and brown. At the same time though, he possessed a combination of his Tenth's and Eleventh's energy in the way he loved to skip around the TARDIS and make grand hand gestures while talking. At the same time his mother's ferocity shone through the back of eyes and glinted through occasionally. He was smart for his age... well, both of them were. They were Timelords. "But you'll love him once you get to know him. He said he was hungry so I let him in and told him to wait in the swimming pools until I can get him something to eat. He said not to rush. He wouldn't even mind if I took a swim in the pool right then and there," explained Robert.

River shook her head. There was another way he was like his father. Smart but clueless. "Alright, Audrey, back to bed. You're brother has finally pleaded guilty," said River gathering the half- asleep girl in her arms.

Audrey let her and immediately nestled her head in River's neck. She was so much calmer than Robert. There was something so Rory-like about her. She had soft brown hair reminiscent of the Doctor's eleventh incarnation. Her eyes were also big and brown, and she partly resembled River's first incarnation and the Doctor's eighth. At the same time, she partly resembled Amy, and River could not help but smile when she saw her daughter listening to the stories of the Girl and Boy Who Waited. River carried the girl to her bedroom- the first console room of the Eleventh Doctor. The lights were off, and there was rather large bed on the glass floor. River put the girl in bed, and telepathically sent her a dream about flying through the stars. She kissed her forehead and headed back to her son and the Doctor.

As soon as she saw the Doctor's face she stopped. "No, Sweetie..."

"But, River, he asked so nicely..."

"We are _not_ keeping a crocodile in the TARDIS. Especially one that tried to eat our son."

"Mummy, he didn't try to eat..."

River put one hand on Robert's head and the other over his mouth. " _No._ Now get rid of it. I'll put Robert to bed," demanded River.

The Doctor looked defeated. "No. I'll put Robert to bed. You take care of the crocodile since you hate it so much," huffed out the Doctor.

"Fair enough," said River walking in the direction of the swimming pool.

The Doctor waited until River was gone before swooping his son into the air. "Oh no! TARDIS crashing! Quick! To the console!" exclaimed the Doctor as Robert giggled.

The Doctor carried his son to his bedroom... his Tenth's old console room and laid him in the crook of one of the tree-things he used to like so much. "Ahh, we've landed all safe and sound," the Doctor said as he draped a blanket over the boy.

"Dad, I'm a Timelord. I don't need so much sleep," whined Robert as he let out a yawn.

"Well I'd beg to differ... and you're hardly a Lord yet. What are you like two?" asked the Doctor.

"I'm five, Dad."

"Argh, stop growing on me. Soon you'll be asking for the keys to the TARDIS and flying all over the galaxies and getting into scrapes with Daleks and things..." the Doctor let out a sigh as his voice trailed off.

"That's a long time away," said Robert sleepily.

"Yeah, well, sometimes it feels as if you've missed twelve years in five minutes," responded the Doctor stroking the boy's head.

"Are you talking about Grandma Amy?" asked Robert jerking his eyes open.

"Yes. The indestructible Ponds," replied the Doctor.

"Tell me a bedtime story," mumbled Robert as he sunk lower beneath his blanket.

"Once upon a time, there was a man. His name was Roranicus..."

The Doctor was cut off by a fit of giggles from his son. "Oi! What are you laughing about? Roranicus is a brilliant name. In fact, I was going to name you Roranicus but River wouldn't hear of it so we compromised with Robert."

"Daddy, what about my Gallifreyan name?" asked Robert.

"Ssssh. That name is a special one only for me, your mother, and your sister, understand?"

The boy shook his head yes. "Okay, then. Roranicus kept watch over an old box..."

"Was it a TARDIS?" piped up Robert.

"No, love, it was called the Pandorica. He kept watch over it for two thousand years," continued the Doctor.

"Was he a Timelord too?" asked Robert.

"No, son, he was a human... well, an Auton, but human... human mind, human spirit. Do you know why he kept watch over that box?"

Robert eyes were half- shut, but he managed to shake his head no. "Because the love of his life was inside, and he wanted to protect her," the Doctor explained.

"Did he love her like you love Mummy?" asked Robert drifting into sleep.

"Yes. And though he didn't have a TARIDS or was Timelord, he still could do so much. He was one of the best men I have ever known. He was a human and you know what?" asked the Doctor to his son.

Robert was already sleeping, but the Doctor continued anyway, "He was your grandfather. So, yes I know I often tell you that your much more intelligent than those pudding brains down on Earth, but you should be proud that you are half- human. The blood that runs through you is the blood of two of Earth's finest, and think of it this way, you know those two hearts you've got in there? One of them beats for Gallifrey, the other beats for Earth. I love you so much, my little miracle, Goodnight," the Doctor said passing his hand over the Robert's forehead.

The Doctor really made sure Robert was asleep this time and stalked off to his and River's room. The TARDIS telepathically sent Robert dreams about a little girl waiting for a magic blue box. About how that girl grew up and married a man who would wait two thousand years to keep her safe. About how they decided to be with each other despite the cost of losing the only life they had ever known. The TARDIS told him the story of Amelia and Rory Pond... or Williams, two regular extraordinary  humans, and this was how it ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the fic is done, I might do a series on the five years in between. I don't know yet. You tell me. It would be too much to put it in the fic.


	19. School Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter we were introduced to Audrey Clara Song and Robert Danny Song. In this chapter, schooling for the TimeTwins begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I named them after Amy, Clara, Rory, and Danny. Their stories broke my heart. Still so much plot. So much plot.

"Let me see," the Doctor said sweeping up a piece of paper off of Audrey's desk.

Audrey looked at her father expectantly. "Excellent. Your Gallifreyan writing is improving every day. River, come look at this," the Doctor said motioning for River to come over.

River walked over to peer at the paper the Doctor held in his hands. "It's good, huh?" the Doctor mused as he set the paper back down on Audrey's desk.

"Now on to the big man Robert. Let me see," the Doctor said snatching the paper from Robert's prying hands.

"Wait, Dad, I wasn't finished..." began Robert, but the Doctor held up a hand.

"Have you been cheating by using the compass to draw your circles again?" the Doctor asked.

Robert shrank away from his father into his seat. "Stop chiding him. So what if he takes after you?" River asked with a wink.

"I'll have you know that my handwriting was perfect... more or less... at his age," retorted the Doctor.

River rolled her eyes. "Break time, sweethearts," she announced.

The two children scurried away from their desks down one corridor to the TARDIS kitchen to find something to eat. Robert came back munching on popcorn and candy, and Audrey came back silently chewing a peanut butter sandwich. "Can I watch 20th century cartoons now?" asked Robert stuffing a handful of candy into his mouth.

The Doctor let out a heavy sigh. "Sure. Whatever you like," he mumbled.

"Fantastic!" Robert exclaimed.

"Oh please no," muttered the Doctor.

He went under the console to begin working on putting a bigger playground in the TARDIS. He turned around to grab a wrench and and instead saw Audrey sitting there watching him while eating her sandwich. The Doctor jumped somewhat startled by her presence, but Audrey frequently liked to watch her father work so it was not so surprising. "Mind passing me that wrench, little one?" asked the Doctor to his daughter.

Audrey passed him the wrench getting peanut butter all over it. "Thanks," muttered the Doctor as he wiped the peanut butter away with a small cloth he kept on his desk.

"You like watching your old dad toil laboriously under the scorching TARDIS lights all so you can have a bigger play area don't you? You like to see me slave away. Well, you're not going to sit and watch me work my fingers to the bone for you. You're going to help."

Audrey sprang to her feet. "Now come over here. Connect this red wire to this blue wire right here... there you go. Now, flip that switch right there... okay. Now pull this lever slowly," the Doctor instructed.

Audrey's face began to turn red as she attempted to pull the lever. "Don't wear yourself out; we'll do this together. On a count of three. One, two, th..."

"Sweetie!"

The Doctor paused at the sound of his wife's voice. He came out from his little work hole with Audrey trailing behind him. "We need to talk," began River.

"You're having another one."

"What? No, no I just thought that maybe we should be looking into proper schooling for them," River said as she watched Robert stuff his face full of popcorn and candy watching television.

"This is schooling. I was just teaching Audrey how to build things on the TARDIS," retorted the Doctor.

"Yes, and that's great, Sweetie. But I was thinking Earth school," said River.

"You mean like Coal Hill and the like? River, we can't. They're perfectly fine here... where I can see them," explained the Doctor.

"You said it yourself. They're Timelords. They're way above average. And I don't want them socially awkward and turning out like... well, you," said River with a smirk.

"Shut up you love me," responded the Doctor leaning in to kiss River.

As soon as he got close, she turned her head away causing him to stumble. "None of that until we send them off to school," River said with a grin.

* * *

The Doctor and River prepared their children for their first day of school. The Doctor smoothed down Robert's coat... which looked suspiciously like a tiny copy of the long brown coat he use to like to wear a couple of regenerations ago. "Alright. There you go. Off to mingle with the pudding brains of Earth," said the Doctor.

"Were Grandma and Grandpa pudding brains too?" asked Audrey.

"No, they had very strong brains. If you meet any humans with very strong brains, make sure to bring them back here. Maybe they'd like a trip. That'd be a way to make friends, eh River?" asked the Doctor looking hopefully at his wife.

"You're one to talk about friends, Sweetie," said River.

"The Master wasn't always like that. He used to be a respectable young man!"

"Now he's a psychotic woman... Is he even still alive?"

"You're one to talk to about psychotic women," quipped the Doctor.

"There's a difference between psychotic and psychopath. Anyway, have a good day, Sweethearts. I love you."

"Love you," the twins responded.

"Love you too," said the Doctor.

"Love you," they repeated.

"Oh, and make sure your perception filter's on. Don't want anyone to find about your two hearts. And if you get badly injured, no regenerating. Same rule as here. No need to be wasting energy like that. Remember to eat lunch and..." River was cut off by the Doctor.

"Just go, kids."

The twins leaped outside the TARDIS doors and ran to their new school. River sighed as she watched them run off. "Miss them already? Told you you would. Well, River, we do have a time machine. We could just jump ahead a few hours and..."

"No, absolutely not. We agreed that life will be lived as linearly as possible. That rule is only to be broken in case of emergency. Look at you. You're more worse than me," said River with a nervous laugh.

"What do we do now?" asked the Doctor.

"I dunno. Fly off into the Vortex and have a day in... or alien planet... or both," suggested River wrapping her arms around the Doctor's neck.

The Doctor rested his hands on either side of her hips. "Daleks and dancing then?" he smirked.

River laughed, "Daleks and dancing, Sweetie."

 _Seven hours later:_ "Time to pick them up, River," said the Doctor excitedly walking towards the console.

"Audrey's gonna love this Dalekanium necklace I made her," mused River following after him.

"She's already got three," muttered the Doctor under his breath.

The TARDIS landed at Audrey and Robert's new school. "After you," said the Doctor bowing and gesturing to the doors with his hand.

River rushed out, and the sight she saw was definitely not what she had expected to see. The whole building was in smoke. There was a fire going on at one side of the building, and the sound of alarms and shouting filled the air. Coming out of the building were rows of panicked and frightened children. When she finally found her voice River choked out through her tears, "Robert! Audrey!"

The Doctor came out the TARDIS. "River, what's wro..."

River looked up the Doctor. They grabbed each other's hands and ran straightway for the building.

 


	20. Who Dunnit?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, Robert and Audrey start school. In this chapter, the Doctor and River find out who started the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW IT WAS A LONG WAAAAIIIIITTTT!!!!!! Life happened, but I'll get back on track.  
> (In David Tennant's voice) I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. It doesn't get better.

The Doctor examined each and every child that came coughing and stumbling out of that school. "Robert Danny! Audrey Clara!" shouted River frantically.

Soon, they were approached by two police officers. "Are you the parents of the two Song children?" one asked.

"Yes," answered River.

"Come with me," instructed the officer walking away to his car.

The Doctor and River followed. They drove them to an old building that actually looked bright and sparkling new on the inside. "Welcome to Torchwood... again," said the officer.

"What do you mean by again?" asked the Doctor.

The officer put two fingers to the side of his neck and suddenly his face morphed into a very familiar one. "Stole the technology from a Zygon ship. Knew it could be useful... in more ways than one."

"Jack! Never thought I would say this but... I need you," the Doctor said huffing out the last three words.

Jack pretended to be crying, "I always dreamed that you would say those words to me."

River suddenly grabbed Jack's shirt with the strength of a thousand bulls. "WHERE. ARE. MY. CHILDREN!"

After Jack found his voice again he stammered out, "Give me a chance to explain will ya?"

The Doctor put his hand on River's shoulder, and she shuddered as she let out a breath. The tension in her arms relaxed, and she let Jack go. "Okay, that's better. We identified an extraterrestrial ship entering the Earth's atmosphere... you know... apart from the normal ones. Tracked it. Seemed harmless. Left it alone and figured you would take care of it eventually. Couple of minutes later, there are reports of a ship landing at a school. We interviewed a few of the kids and teachers. All of them say that a woman with an eyepatch came into the school, grabbed two children, threatened to vaporize anyone who got in her way, and left. The fumes from the ship set the school on fire," Jack explained.

"Eyepatch?" asked River faintly.

Jack continued, "Scanned some DNA from the two kids found on two half-eaten oranges. Did a video X-ray, (which is also stolen alien technology), and saw two hearts. Interesting. Doctor, you wanna tell me something?" asked Jack with a smile growing on his face, "I mean, Miss Brooklyn here has already claimed the kids as her own, and they have two hearts..."

"Do you remember when I asked you for a favor, and you got so annoying I hung up the phone?"

"Oh, yeah, that time you needed me help find a missing baby. I was a little... preoccupied," said Jack.

"Well, this is her all grown up. She's a Timelord. I married her after she almost destroyed time in order to save me... well, not me... robot me, but that's different. She died before we did that whole Earth- moving thing, but she's alive now," explained the Doctor.

"But we did that whole Earth-moving thing before you called me about that," said Jack confused.

"Time- travel. It's lovely isn't it? When you met her, she turned herself human and had no memory of who or what she was, but now she does. Anyways, now that that's out the way, let's not panic, and you tell me where my children are," the Doctor said his Scottish accent thickening with every word.

"We don't know who exactly who took them..."

"The Silence," the Doctor and River said simultaneously.

"I'm sorry what?" asked Jack.

"Long story. Keep talking," said the Doctor with a wave of his hand.

"I have my best men working on it. We couldn't track them. The ship teleported away from reports..."

"No bother. Can't believe I haven't thought about it before. River, just look ahead in their timestream. See where they are now," said the Doctor.

In spite of himself he laughed. He was really hoping River would not give him the response he knew was inevitable. "I can't, Sweetie. It was not meant that way. It is further ahead in my timestream so I can't see it clearly. It is almost like foreknowledge... on the verge of becoming a fixed point. I would if I could, but I..."

"Listen to me, River. You. Can. You have to. It's the only way..." began the Doctor.

"There is another..." River cut him off.

"No, there isn't. Now do..."

"If you would listen I..."

"... as I say."

River grabbed the Doctor by his collar roughly. "Shut up!" she snarled.

Her eyes were blazing, and the Doctor could almost see the psychopath crawling its way out of her. "Has it ever once occurred to you that we both have a telepathic bond with our children, and that we can connect to our children, and then to the TARDIS through the telepathic circuits?" she said to him.

"Oh... right. Sorry, I didn't think..."

"You never do," River responded softening a little and letting go of the Doctor's collar.

"Jack," said the Doctor.

"I'm sorry. I was somewhere else. What's going on?" asked Jack.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "You're with me," he continued.

"Doctor, you're already married..."

"Shut up and come on," said the Doctor exasperated.

The three made their way back to the TARDIS. "Alright, fingers in the circuits. There you go," said the Doctor guiding River's hands.

"I get it, Sweetie. I am a better flyer than you."

"Oi! You're only doing this because your telepathic bond with the TARDIS is stronger. Okay, now to connect," the Doctor said placing his fingers on River's temples.

It was difficult to maneuver through River's mind. Most of the doors were locked shut... even some that had been previously entered. The Doctor wondered if she did this to make it easier to find the link with Audrey and Robert or if it was because she was hiding again.

It was difficult to maneuver through the Doctor's mind. Most of the doors were wide open. Some were left ajar. Everything from thirteen different lives poured through into River's mind. Pain and anguish she never knew freely flowed into River, and it hurt, but it meant he _trusted_  her. One door of the Doctor's mind had a door left wide open with a light shining through it. River accessed this part of the Doctor's mind. She found the connection with the children, but she also saw memories... memories... so many memories of her, the Doctor, their children. She grabbed hold of the connection, and she could hear the Doctor say, "We've gotten through."

The Doctor and River began: _Robert. Audrey._

_Dad? Mum?_

_We're coming for you. I swear we're coming for you, but we need you to do something important._

_What?_

_Think hard about where you are. Really hard. Try to think of every little detail._

_It hurts, Daddy._

_I know. The stress on your young brains must be overbearing, but it's the only way._

_Okay._

_I'm coming, Sweethearts. Daddy and I are coming._

_We know._

_Don't worry, my little miracles. We have to go now. It's not safe holding the link this long with you._

The Doctor and River broke the link silently as the TARDIS whirred to life propelled by the telepathic message of where it was to go. Jack stood watching not feeling like cracking a joke as he saw the concern and sadness on the Doctor's and River's faces. "I'm gonna kill them. The Silence. They'll be silenced forever. They got more than they bargained for when they raised the perfect psychopath," said River breaking the silence of the moment.

The Doctor did not say anything. He merely looked at her. She looked back expecting him to tell her that that was not the way to go about it, be he did not. He simply cleared his throat as if he was thinking the same thing.

The TARDIS materialized, and the Doctor stepped out first with River close behind and Jack last. They looked around. They were in an all white room. A quite familiar all white room.

 


	21. A Deadly Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, the Doctor and River find out who took their children. In this chapter, the two Timelords... and never-dying human try to rescue Robert and Audrey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I go about this the right way. By the time this chapter was actually started, I had about 2700 hits, 16 subs, 55 kudos, and 50 comments. I love you guys so much. You're all so very supportive. I really enjoy writing this knowing you enjoy reading it.

"Daddy and Mummy said they're coming," said Robert to his sister.

He shifted a bit causing the small handcuffs around his wrists to rattle. "Who do you think took us?" asked Audrey.

Robert thought for a while. "The Toclafane," he answered.

"Don't be silly. The Toclafane are made up monsters. I heard Mummy say that to Daddy. She said that Daddy should stop telling us scary nonsense," Audrey said.

Robert looked down. "Then who took do _you_ think took us?" he asked.

"Daleks," answered Audrey.

Robert shuddered. "Scared of Daleks are you?" asked Audrey teasingly.

"N-n-no," said Robert.

"Are to. Wait 'til I tell Daddy and Mummy," said Audrey triumphantly.

Audrey began to laugh which prompted Robert to shove her. Audrey shoved him back and soon the quiet room was filled with the sound of rattling chains and clinks. "Stop it!" shouted Robert before a door opened.

They had not even noticed a door was there. A strange creature walked through the door. It's head was large and bulbous. It seemed to have no mouth, and its voice was eerily thin and breathy. "Look at me. Don't look away, or will you forget. Keep your eyes fixed on me," it said as it slowly approached them.

* * *

"Stormcage... with a white paint job," said River.

"Obviously has been turned into a lab of some sort," added the Doctor.

"Well then, no use just standing here. Come on. I know this place like the back of my hand," River said beginning to walk off to the left side.

Jack and the Doctor followed after her. "I'm scared, you know," said the Doctor to Jack.

"For your kids?" asked Jack.

"No, for whoever kidnapped them," answered the Doctor.

Jack laughed. "You married some woman," he said.

"Yeah, and she's all mine so no ideas," the Doctor said turning to face Jack.

"None... at least not right now," said Jack back with a smirk.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. "River, Timelord DNA picked up coming from that a-way," he said motioning with his hand.

River turned and sprinted in the direction the Doctor was pointing.

* * *

"Be calm. I am not here to hurt you. Do not look away. Eyes fixed on me. Good. Now."

The creature bent towards Audrey and undid her handcuffs then did the same to Robert. "Hold my hand," he said to Audrey, "Hold your sister's hand," he said to Robert.

After that was done, the creature led them out the door and down a hallway. "What's your name?" asked Audrey.

A low clicking/ growling sound came from the creature. "Mind if I call you Billy?" asked Audrey.

"No. But keep looking at me. We must not be caught by Kovar..."

Suddenly alarms sounded from over head. A door opened and about five soldiers were rushing to get through it. An electric shock from the creature hit the keypad and the door was sealed shut.

"Is there another way out, Billy?" asked Robert.

"Yes, but it can only be unlocked from the outside," responded the creature.

"Then how are we getting out?" continued Robert.

"Your mum and dad are coming."

\-----------

"The signal is stronger over here," said the Doctor approaching a wall, "They're through here. Telepathic link, now."

RIver and him connected. _Robert, Audrey._

_This hurts, Daddy._

_I know. I'm sorry, but are you in a room that seems to have no door?"_

_Yes! We are._

_Then we're here._

The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the wall, and an invisible door seemed to slide open. The Doctor walked through with River closely behind him. As soon as she saw what was in there she drew the gun she had been concealing. "Look, I don't want to kill you in front of my children so let. them. go," she said fighting back tears of anger and relief.

"I'm not part of the..."

"I don't care! Let them go, you monster!"

"Mum, why are you talking to Billy like that? He was trying to help us esca..."

"Not the time, Robert!'

"River!" shouted the Doctor, "Not all of the Silents were..."

"I don't care just LET THEM GO!"

The Silent let go of Robert and Audrey who made sure to keep looking at him at all times. River's gun remained drawn. "Melody Pond..." the Silent began.

"What? What do you want?"

"Run. Get out. Lea..."

Suddenly, a shot was fired. The Silent fell. From his chest was oozing black blood. "Mel... Melody. Pond. The little girl in the orphanage. Run! Faster than you ran all those years ago," the Silent said as its voice became even more thin and wheezing.

River ran to the Silent and knelt by it. "You really tried to save my children. I'm sorry for being so stubborn," she said reaching out to touch its head.

"Run!" repeated the Silent.

"I won't remember you... they won't remember you," River said pointing to her children.

"Run. You didn't remember me from the last time you ran... a little girl in an orphanage... stolen from her parents. You're all grown up now. You have other little ones to be thinking about. Now, run," pleaded the Silent.

"One last question. What does Kovarian want with my children now?"

Another shot was fired into the Silent, and he was dead. "Oh don't get all sappy over him. I thought I raised you better than that, Melody. Feel no emotional attachment. That was rule 1. Or maybe rule 1 was how to fire an automatic... hmmm, well who cares? Come on, then. Turn around and face me, Melody. Forget about him, quite literally, and look at your Auntie Kovarian. We have plenty of catching up to do. I haven't been formally acquainted with a my niece and nephew."

River shot sup and turned away from the dead Silent. Perplexed at the tear trailing its way down her cheek, she blinked a few times before saying, "As God is my witness you NEVER will."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!


	22. My Little Miracles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River, the Doctor, Jack, and the TimeTwins are captured by Kovarian. In this chapter, the evil plan unfurls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it occurred to me that Jack hasn't gotten a lot of attention during this whole thing so... I have to find a way to weave him in more thoroughly.

Kovarian moved towards Audrey and Robert, and River lunged at her. She was restrained by two guards. The Doctor grabbed Audrey and Robert close to him. "Tranquilize him," ordered Kovarian.

The Doctor promptly found himself with a dart in his neck. "Daddy?" asked Robert concernedly as his father's grip loosened on him.

The Doctor fell to the floor as Jack sneaked up behind the kids to whisk them away to the TARDIS, but Kovarian spotted him. "Kill him. He's human," commanded Kovarian.

A gun was aimed at Jack's head. "Wait! How can you hate the Doctor because he brings eventual harm to those he's around but kill others at the same time?" asked River.

Kovarian cocked her head to the left. "Have you forgotten everything? The Doctor brought a human in this dangerous situation. Maybe if he didn't, Pretty over here wouldn't be shot right now," explained Kovarian.

"Not shot yet," Jack snarled as he attempted to overpower the soldier holding the gun to his head.

Before he could, a shot was fired from someone else, and Jack fell to the ground.

"Mummy, what's wrong with Daddy?" asked Robert.

"Is he dead?" asked Audrey pointing at Jack.

River remained silent. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Not her children. Not _her_ children. "Yes, he's dead since your mummy's not answering you. Take the kids to a MORE SECURE room, and bring Miss Melody here to a familiar place," instructed Kovarian.

One soldier grasped River's children. Robert bit his hand. Audrey screamed. "Tranquilize them too. They're just as bad as their mother... though that might be my fault," said Kovarian.

"No!" screamed River.

"Relax. I'm not killing them," said Kovarian as two darts were stuck in the twins' neck, "Lock her up. I'll deal with her later. Lock up the Doctor too. Bring the children to the Secondary Laboratory. Leave Pretty here. He's low priority. Oh, and the Silent. Burn him."

* * *

"Wakey wakey, Doctor," whispered Kovarian.

The Doctor woke up in a cell in a laboratory. "What's with you and small cells? Do you have an obsession or something?" asked the Doctor.

"I'm gonna give you a chance to save your children and... wife's lives," said Kovrian disregarding the Doctor's earlier statement.

"Why would you do that?" asked the Doctor attempting to stand to his feet and failing miserably at it.

"First, let me tell you why we want your children. Imagine a world full of Timelords..."

"Lived it. Continue."

"Not your noxious Timelord society, but at least a world where immortality is possible," said Kovarian.

"No, that would be horrid. Don't disgust me anymore than you already do, and tell me what you want with my children!"

"Nothing much. Just some scanning, observing, DNA, a sample of cells going through the full regeneration process..."

"To have them fully regenerate, you would have to kill them," the Doctor said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, dear, repeatedly," answered Kovarian grinning, "But like I said, you have a chance to save them. I mean, it's the least you can do after you got them into this mess."

"How did _I_ get them into this. _You_ kidnapped them!" shouted the Doctor.

"You let them be born. You just had to fall in love with Riv... Melody. Do you really love her Doctor, or was it for your own selfish reasons. She was perfect. The daughter of your two best friends. You'd have a _family_ again. And what's more? When the Ponds would inevitably leave you, she would someday too. Isn't that right? In the _Library._ That way, when your family had left, and you were tired of Melody, you could just send her off to the Library and move on the next one. Amn't I right, Doctor? Right after you say goodbye to your wife you're in the arms of another woman. Clara. My Clara. My Impossible..."

"Stop it! Just stop it!" shouted the Doctor.

He recoiled to the back of the cell covering his ears trying his hardest not to cry. "Kill yourself," whispered Kovarian.

"What?" asked the Doctor looking up scrunching up his eyebrows.

"Instead of your children. You, Doctor, will be the experiment. We'll keep Melody and your children in our custody of course, but at least they'll be alive. Maybe they'll even have a chance to escape... not that that happens when your bound in shackles and chained in a cold, dark, lonely cell, but hey, at least their hearts are beating," said Kovarian with a wicked grin.

"How would I do it?" asked the Doctor.

"Oh, we have a variety of instruments used for the art of self-destruction," Kovarian walked over to a table in the back of the lab room, "Over here is a Sinordian gun. Guaranteed to kill you without the slightest bit of pain. Next, we have the classic knife. Knife to the heart. Very romantic. Melody might remember you as her loving husband and brave father of her children. Disgusting filth. Lastly, here is an electrocution bomb. Set off this thing and you'll be electrocuted to death... just like your Beloved," Kovarian bundled the objects in her arms and walked over to the Doctor's cell, "Here you are. Make your choice. Excuse while I go talk to the wife."

* * *

"Melody. Back in your old cell that you stayed in for killing a man who wasn't even dead. My gosh you are devoted to him," said Kovarian as she stood in front of River's cell.

"Where are my children?"

"Relax. I'm not going to kill them... well, at least I don't think I am. You still have a chance," said Kovarian.

"A chance for what?" asked River lifting her dead eyes to meet Kovarian's.

"To save them. Join the Silence again. All we want is justice in the world, and with the Doctor out the way, that can happen. We can train your children..."

"Listen to me!" shouted River.

Her eyes began to regain the glow. They flashed, an energy started building in her. She stood up in the cell and approached the bars. "I hated what you did to me. My children did not know a thing about you until today. I will not let you give my children the HELL you put me through. Maybe you've forgotten. Maybe you don't remember. But in another universe, what you did to me got you killed. It can happen again!"

Kovarian lunged for the bars and spit in River's face. "Insolent beast. I tried giving you a chance, and you lost it. Goodbye, Melody Pond. At least your heard a goodbye. Your children won't."

With that, Kovarian spun on her heel and swiftly walked away from the cell. As soon as she was far enough, River slumped down in her cell, broke down, and cried.

* * *

The Doctor positioned the knife in the air calculating the angle it would take to pierce both hearts at the same time. He did not even know if he would regenerate, but he had to try. He had to. The first of many deaths... he would suffer it all for his children... for River. "135.7134 degrees," he said out loud.

He closed his eyes. "Goodbye," he whispered.

Tears started to fall. They burned his eyes, and he began to sob. The knife was just centimeters from his hearts when the door opened.

 

 

 

 

 


	23. Run!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, Robert, Audrey, River, and the Doctor are captured by the Silence. In this chapter, the first half of the escape unfolds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I love you guys. Just had to say that.

"What the heck are you doing?" shouted a voice.

Startled, the Doctor dropped the knife. "J... Jack," he stammered out.

Jack jogged over to the Doctor's cell. "You're not the only one around here that can regenerate... well, sort of," Jack said searching his jacket pockets with his hands.

He pulled out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver from the inside of his jacket. "Have you forgotten that whole Rose-made-me-immortal thing? I mean, come on. I know you're old now but 2,000 years? Psssh. There's paintings older than that."

The lock sprung open. The Doctor dumbly looked up at Jack shocked. "So are we gonna save your hot wife or what?" asked Jack.

The Doctor glared at Jack before finally completely coming to his senses. "River!" he exclaimed.

* * *

 "These ones don't look as nice as Billy," whispered Audrey.

"Who's Billy?" responded Robert.

"He was like those things," said Audrey pointing at a group of three Silents, "I keep forgetting him too."

"Will you two shut up? Jeez. I've never had to guard kids before," said the guard in front of the cell Robert and Audrey were currently in.

"You don't tell my brother when to shut up. Mummy says that's my job," retorted Audrey.

"Chances are your mummy's dead or locked up somewhere close to dead by now," responded the guard.

Robert slit his eyes, "My mummy's a psychopath. I heard Daddy say it. I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing it's something terrible if they're keeping it secret from us."

"Psychopath? Kovarian's the biggest one," responded the guard.

A door slid open to reveal an elderly man. He walked in and approached the guard. "Step aside. I have to speak to the prisoners," he said.

"Do you have clearance, Doctor Sharton?" asked the guard.

"Why can't you ever call me, Dad?" asked Doctor Sharton sadly.

"When have you ever been one, sir?" responded the guard.

"I'm trying now. I need a favor of you, Chandler," said Doctor Sharton.

"I need official permission to perform any duties outside of my normal boundaries, sir," responded Chandler.

Doctor Sharton sighed. "If you want the same to happen to you to happen to these two right here, you will obey me," said Doctor Sharton a little bit more harshly.

Chandler looked from the kids to his father. "Fine."

* * *

River wracked her brain trying to find where she hid her fifteenth dimensional pocket. "It was 11 feet to the left, 10 feet up, and..."

She knocked on a part of the wall of her cell to reveal a hidden compartment. "Ah, still here. See, I knew this would come in handy. Good thing I told the Doctor I wanted one for my birthday."

Inside was a blaster gun, hallucinogenic lipstick, a rudimentary sonic screwdriver, and a dimensional shifter. She held the gun to the bars and pulled the trigger. Almost instantly a large, smoking, gaping hole was in the middle of the cell bars. River almost wanted to let out a laugh, but her mind was set on her children. She had to get them back from Kovarian. "Idiot. Did she really think I wouldn't find a way out? She'll pay. I swear," said River.

She promptly walked off in search of her children, gun in hand, and a set jaw. If she finds Kovarian, she finds her children, and when she finds Kovarian... oh, when she finds Kovarian.

* * *

"Did you hear anything while you were playing possum?" asked the Doctor to Jack.

"Uh, Eyepatch told her little henchmen to take River to a 'familiar place'. Know what that means?" asked Jack.

"Her cell. This way!" said the Doctor running down a corridor.

Jack followed after him. They arrived at River's cell to see it empty with a huge, gaping, smoking hole in the bars. "What do you think they did with her?" asked Jack worried.

"No, wrong question. The question is, 'What do you think River's gonna do to them?' She probably hid some weapons somewhere. Ah, my little psychopath. Can't feel safe without them. We gotta find her. We find her, we find the kids. We find the kids, we stop River from killing Kovarian. Come on, Jack!"

Jack and the Doctor took off running.

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here. You were always here. You were always in the nursery making sure every little baby was conditioned and trained for  _your_ work," stated River.

Kovarian slowly turned around to face her. "Oh, I see you've gotten free. Very well done. Don't know what the point of that is considering that I'm just gonna lock you up somewhere else," said Kovarian as she walked over to her intercom button, "Guards, I need security on level..."

Before she finish, River took a well-aimed shot at the intercom system reducing it to a pile of ash. "Melody! How _dare_ you. You almost killed me!" exclaimed Kovarian shocked.

"And? What of it?" said River stepping closer to Kovarian gun drawn.

"But you're with him. He's _changed_ you," said Kovarian backing away.

"Do you know what happened to you the last time you took someone's Timelord child?" asked River.

"What?"

"You were killed. And what's more? You've taken two of them this time."

"Melody, we can talk it over. I didn't want to raise them like I did you. I _swear_ ," spluttered Kovarian.

"On your knees," demanded River.

"What?"

"On your knees now!"

Kovarian complied and raised her hands above her head. Out of the corner of her eye she saw River aim the gun holding the gun with both hands. She saw the determination in her face- the ferocity in her eyes. _She_ had put that there. Or did she? She heard as the gun began to charge up. She heard the high- pitched whine of the energy building up within the blaster. Then, over the sound of the gun, River's heaving breaths, and her own thudding heartbeat she heard, "Mummy!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess I landed on another cliff hanger. Sorry about that. Couldn't resist it. Plus, the chapter would be getting too long in my opinion.


	24. Ten Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River and the Doctor both break free of their cells. River really wants to kill Kovarian, and in this chapter, so does someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long wait (sorry!) :(, but you should really read the end notes. I put some info out there for anyone interested.

River's arm stiffened. She saw the expression in Kovarian's face change. "Well go ahead then. Shoot me," said Kovarian smiling.

"Are you gonna shoot her, Mummy?" asked Robert.

River turned to face her children without turning the gun from Kovarian. She saw Doctor Sharton standing there holding her children's hands. She saw Chandler standing on the left side of Sharton with his eyes an icy blue stare. She recognized that stare. Dead, lifeless, looking back at her as she saw herself in a mirror trapped in an astronaut suit. "No," said River.

She returned the gun to its holster and ran to her children not caring if she would die or not. She just wanted to hug them again. She was surprised when Doctor Sharton made no attempt to stop her. She gathered Robert and Audrey in her arms, and they threw their little arms around her. She turned around to face Kovarian and was even more surprised to see Chandler holding his rifle to her head- staring at her icily, eyes dead, no expression, does not even feel what he is going to do. "Stop!" shouted River.

"Leave the room with the kids, and they won't have to see it," said Chandler.

"No, you can't. You'll only be like what she made you to be if you do it," pleaded River.

"Son..." began Doctor Sharton.

"My name is Chandler..."

"I know you're angry at me for letting her do to you what she did..."

"Yes, and you're next..."

"But I'm trying to take it back. We can start here. Please, just don't kill anymore than you have," pleaded Doctor Sharton.

Just then, River got a tingling sensation in the back of her head. The Time-Tots grimaced in pain. It was much worse for them. "Mummy, make it stop!" groaned Robert as he and his sister clamped their little hands around their heads.

_River, where are you? Answer me._

_You're hurting the children._

_It's the only way I could talk to you so... Wait, you're with them?_

_Yes. I'm in the nursery. You should be able to find it by the signs. I'm here with the children, Doctor Sharton, and Kovarian who is currently being held at gunpoint by Doctor Sharton's son. Now, hang up. They're crying._

And with that, River disconnected the connection, and the twins fell to the floor exhausted. River knelt beside them wiping the sweat from their foreheads. She looked up to see Chandler still holding the gun directly at Kovarian. His eyes remained fixed upon her, his hand was steady, there was no chance he could miss if he pulled the trigger. He did have one weakness though. His voice wavered when he spoke, and all River had to do was find what made his voice break the most. "You told me that I was the one who would kill the Doctor. You put my body through hell for your purpose. You made me do things that are impossible for the human body, and _still_ I tried for you. They told me about Melody Pond..."

Here, River could hear the pain, tightness, and sadness in his voice. "They said she ran away. I wanted to be like her. Run away..."

The Doctor and Jack burst through the door. The Doctor ran for his children whom River had put to sleep. "I'll watch the kids. You go talk to your wife," said Jack kneeling beside Audrey.

"River..." the Doctor began.

"Ssh," River said in reply.

"I was next...", continued Chandler, "...next in line to Melody Pond. I was her replacement."

Suddenly, it made sense. River looked at the Doctor, the Doctor looked back at River, and then they both looked at Doctor Sharton. The reason why Doctor Sharton had broken off from Kovarian and found River... he wanted them to let go of his son. Doctor Sharton looked down at the ground, but River whispered, "A parent would do anything for their children."

Sharton looked up again surprised by River's statement, but then he understood. "I wanted to be like her so much," said Chandler.

His voice became harsher and colder than before, cynical, and relentlessly sarcastic. "I'm pretty sure if she was standing here now, she would be doing this. Watching you in anguish, reveling in the sound of your silent pleas for life, basking in rapture of finally having the opportunity for this moment..."

"I assure you she would not," cut in River.

"Why not?!?" half-shouted Chandler.

"Because I'm Melody Pond," River replied gravely.

"What?" asked Chandler scrunching up his eyebrows.

"She is," said Kovarian.

"She is," said the Doctor.

"She is," said Jack.

Doctor Sharton sighed, "She is."

Chandler swallowed causing his Adam's apple to bob up and down. "And frankly, I believe that underneath the fear you see in Kovarian's eyes, she's quite proud of you for what you are doing right now," stated River.

Finally, Chandler let the tears come. "How do you do it?" he asked before lowering the gun and full on running back to his father.

His hugged his crying son and sobbed along with him. The Doctor, River, and Jack watched Doctor Sharton and Chandler until they heard the shuffling of Kovarian getting up from the floor. "Well, that was lovely, but I think I'll be late for tea," she said grinning.

"You're not going anywhere," growled Jack as he pointed his gun at her.

"Jack, gun away," demanded River.

"Kovarian," River began, "...you have nothing left. I already hacked the system from my cell... I used to be so bored in prison... and sent out an alarm alerting everyone to evacuate this base immediately. Doctor Sharton has been receiving this alert for about five minutes now, but I already told him it was me. Chandler too has been receiving this alert, but he was a little preoccupied. So, you have a choice. At the snap of my fingers the TARDIS will materialize around this area. If you take just ten steps closer to me, we will allow you to board the TARDIS safely and bring you back to Tasha Lem. She will decide what to do with you. If you stay, you will be transported by the dimensional shifter I have placed within this ship to the planet of Magmastonia where they will... well, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure they won't kill you. Too nice those ones. So make your choice, Kovarian, and choose wisely."

"You're bluffing," said Kovarian with a scoff.

"I'm really not," returned River.

Kovarian broke into a fit of laughter. "Oh, Melody, if I get anywhere close to your children I am liable to rip their heads off!" she said with an evil grin forming on her face.

River positioned her fingers as if she were to snap them. Kovarian took one step closer to River, and the TimeTwins, now awake, shrieked and shirked behind their father. "See, Melody. Think of the children," said Kovarian feigning a pout.

She took one more step, then another, then another all while tauntingly and maniacally laughing loudly. River snapped her fingers, and as if the TARDIS understood the situation, it materialized quickly around Robert, Audrey, Jack, Chandler, Doctor Sharton, River, and the Doctor. After a few seconds, River could hear rattling at the door. She slowly approached it listening. "Open the door! Open the door so I can kill them all!" shouted Kovarian.

River looked at the ground sadly. "So that's a no then?" she asked.

"Yes, Idiot. It's a 'no'."

"Goodbye, Kovarian... Goodbye, All," said River with a bit of tremor in her voice, "My whole past is gone... my parents, my orphanage, my old body, the face I was most accustomed to seeing on my husband, (not that I don't adore this face), even the inside of the TARDIS... I haven't just returned. I've woken up in a brand new time like Rip van Winkle," she looked back at her children, "I suppose it's time to get on with it and leave old things in a special little cardboard box... so again, goodbye, Kovarian."

"Goodbye, Melody."

The TARDIS dematerialized.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sorry, long wait, but don't fret. Life happens. Um, so, one chapter away from the end. I love you guys. Hang on for that last chapter. I'm about to start it now, and I think I'm gonna cry. I am going to go ahead and do a little collection of stories about River, the Doctor and the Twins so be on the lookout for that. Also, I'm gonna start another multi-chapter fic, but I'm deciding between human AU or Whoniverse AU. Also, I might write a Sherlock one-shot fic... I am Sherlocked so... yeah. Love you guys!


	25. The Return of River Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, River, Jack, the Doctor, the TimeTwins, Doctor Sharton, and Chandler all escape on the TARDIS. In this chapter, well, the story ends... but we're all stories in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I ever mentioned I love you guys?

"How do you do it?" asked Chandler as he shook River's hand.

"Kindness... lots of kindness. Oh, and love, and support," replied River smiling.

She looked over Chandler's shoulder to see Doctor Sharton waiting outside the TARDIS doors. "Take care of your father. No sane parents would let their children go through such torture with full knowledge of what was going on. You know the Silence's capabilities," River said to Chandler grasping his hand tighter.

"I do," said Chandler looking almost ashamed of himself after letting go of River's hand.

River laid a hand on Chandler's shoulder, and he looked up to see the Doctor entering the console room. "Sir!" said Chandler saluting.

The Doctor looked slowly behind him. "Oi! Stop with the saluting," said the Doctor approaching Chandler, "Why don't you just go and get out of here," he said with a smile as he shook Chandler's hand and clapped him on the back.

Chandler nodded grinning sheepishly. "Bye, Chandler!" shouted Jack who was currently having to maneuver around with two five-year-olds attached to his legs. "Bye, Jack! Bye, Robert! Bye, Audrey!" shouted back Chandler.

Audrey blushed at the sound of her name. "No, you're not starting that now..." began the Doctor as he began to make his way over to Audrey, but River held him back.

Chandler laughed at the scenario and exited the TARDIS. Before, the doors could fully shut however, Doctor Sharton slipped through hanging his head. "I'm sorry about what I did back with the Magmanons," he said to River, "I and my son were two of the few who left the planet before the explosion. I joined the main group of the Silence because I thought they might find you, and I could tell you sorry and make up for it."

"You were doing what you could for your son so I understand that. Let's just let it go, hm?" said River.

Her expression was stern, but she really did forgive him. "Okay," answered Doctor Sharton.

He waved to the Doctor before leaving, and the Doctor nodded in response. After the TARDIS doors were shut, River turned towards the console and looked at her reflection in the time rotor. After a while, she turned around to see her children hanging on Jack's leg urging him to do, "giant-steps." She caught the eye of the Doctor, and she smiled at him. "Jack, can I talk to you?" asked the Doctor.

"Of course," responded Jack.

"Oi! You two. Go annoy your mother," demanded the Doctor.

The twins hopped of Jack's leg and ran to River. Robert practically leaped into her arms while Audrey began to babble about how Robert was scared of Daleks. Robert shook his head in protest, but his grip tightened on River's jacket when Audrey began to describe how the Daleks were going to creep into his room that night and eat him.

The Doctor sighed and turned to face Jack. "She won't admit it, but she's shaken up, and so am I. Just for a while maybe... you could stay?" asked the Doctor hopefully.

"Of course! I get to spend more time with my adorable godchildren," said Jack smiling.

"You're adorable what?"

"Godchildren."

"I'll think about that one."

"Hmm. How long you want me here for before you throw me in a supernova?" asked Jack.

"Would three weeks be pushing it?" asked the Doctor.

"No, not at all. That's fine. Hey, I understand. Now go tell your wife the good news," said Jack.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, and Jack let out a hearty laugh. By the time the Doctor made his way over to River, Robert's head was buried in River's neck as he tried to block out his sister's torment. "Make her stop, Mummy," pleaded Robert pulling away from River's neck and looking at her with big, brown, shining eyes the way he did when he really wanted something.

River sighed, "Audrey, find some other form of entertainment."

"We need to talk," said the Doctor quietly.

River pried Robert off her and set him on the floor. "Go play with Jack," she said.

"But we just came from Jack," protested Robert throwing his arms around River's legs.

"Hey, go have fun. That's an order you two," commanded the Doctor.

Robert reluctantly let go of his mother and began walking towards Jack. "Exterminate!" shouted Audrey causing Robert to jump.

Audrey began to laugh uncontrollably. Robert turned around to face her with determination in his eyes. "Chandler," he said.

Audrey stopped laughing. "What about him?" she mumbled.

"I'm gonna tell Mum and Dad you like him," loudly whispered Robert.

"You won't!"

"I will!" exclaimed Robert running towards Jack.

"No! "shouted Audrey.

Jack scooped up Robert and put him on his back. He bolted down a corridor with Audrey at his heels.

River laughed at the sight. "I asked Jack to stay for a while, " explained the Doctor.

"Okay," answered River.

The Doctor looked down at her. "I... I needed that, Sweetie, thank you... It's just..." River's voice cracked and the tears welled up, "I can't do it all again right away."

"No one's expecting you to, River. They could have died. That would break anyone, but you're strong. You'll come back soon. You just need time to recuperate. We both do,"said the Doctor holding River to his chest.

She cried softly into his chest for a little while. When she stopped, the Doctor smiled to himself. "You sure did make a return, Professor River Song," he said a tad bit proudly.

River let out a laugh. "I sure did."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin. I had so much fun writing this. If you had fun reading this then be on the lookout for my followup collection of stories related to this fic. I'll have to warn you though: fluff and some angst. It's just gonna be some behind-the-scenes stuff so don't expect a grand plot like in this fic.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have suggestions, let me know. Suggestions are cool.


End file.
